


The Arrangement

by HancockBlocked



Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Arranged Marriage, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Falling In Love, Fluff and Angst, Forced Relationship, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Jealousy, Male-Female Friendship, Minor Original Character(s), Older Woman/Younger Man, Secret Identity, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-14
Updated: 2019-02-24
Packaged: 2019-06-27 07:34:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 42,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15680886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HancockBlocked/pseuds/HancockBlocked
Summary: Kate wakes up from Vault 111 trapped in an arranged marriage to a young Arthur Maxson.





	1. Chapter 1

**September 16th, 2285**

The hydraulics of the cryo-pod hissed loudly as they released, sending a wave of cold steam billowing out from the sides of the chamber.

Kate fell onto the concrete floor with her knees making contact first, the sound just as jarring as the pain. She swallowed down an exhausted breath, using her weakened arm muscles to push herself up to see the chamber where Nate and Shaun were being held.

She could still hear the ringing in her ears from the bullet that rang out into her husband's head. Maybe he was okay...maybe the frozen pod kept him clinging to life. Maybe this was all just a cruel joke and Shaun was still in there, untouched and safe.

When her eyes shifted down and noticed the dried pool of blood leaking from the bottom her eyes screwed shut.

"Nate. Oh, God." Her hand trembled as it reached toward his pod, praying that she could still save him.

Before she could reach the switch something stopped her. A large shadow standing above her, outfitted in shiny power armor. Was it the military? Had they come to rescue her family? Behind them stood another figure, this one clad in a burgundy robe.

"Help." She tried to speak but her vocal cords felt fried.

"Subject is awake but disoriented." The robed figure spoke, a woman judging from the voice.

"Well, yeah. How would you feel if you just woke up after 200 years? She's probably half-crazed."

"Wh-?..." Kate backed away. "Who...Shaun? Where's Shaun?" She croaked. "Where is he? Please!"

The woman scoffed. "Nice going, Hayes, now we gotta sedate her."

"Help, please! My-my husband, he's dying-"

"Wait, I think she's gonna pass out."

"Good, it'll save us the Med-X."

"Nate...Shaun?" She collapsed forward onto the ground, too exhausted to form proper sentences.

Everything went silent.

* * *

Things began to fade in slowly and Kate could recognize the sound of idle chatter happening around her.

Was it all just a dream?

Her eyes tried to open but felt glued shut. "Where...?"

"Save your breath and remain calm." A disembodied voice spoke. "You've been out for a few hours."

She couldn't recognize the voice, it seemed so far away. Her eyes fluttered open and shut as she tried to make sense of her situation.

"Shaun?" She couldn't hear him crying...instead she listened as a loud hum vibrated her skull. Her eyes opened to investigate.

Skies.

She was on a vertibird...

Adrenaline forced her upright, flooding her senses with panic as she saw four strangers in the cargo with her, one of them seemed to be the robed woman from the vault.

"Shaun? Where's Shaun?!" She lunged forward.

"She's going to jump, restrain her!" Someone yelled.

Two of the power armored figures pinned her to the floor, binding her wrists together with chains while she fought back. Nothing made sense...where was Shaun? Was Nate dead? Where was she being taken?

"What's our ETA?" Someone spoke to the pilot up front.

"0600."

"Radio ahead and let them know that our subject is awake and ready for isolation."

"Isolation?" Kate repeated softly. "I don't understand."

The woman from before crouched down to her level, patting her arm somewhat sympathetically. "It'll be okay. Just take a deep breath for me."

Kate did as she asked, inhaling deep while feeling something prick her arm. A rush of cold went through her veins as her head grew fuzzy, the voices around her slowly blurred until her body went limp. Over the next few hours she faded in and out, picking up parts of their conversations before feeling the vertibird lurch forward upon landing. As she slowly lost consciousness again she heard one last sentence that rang in her head.

"Don't let anybody see her, she's not fit for presentation."

 

**September 18th, 2285**

 

Kate paced around the small room they had locked her in, unaware of where she was or how long it had been since the bombs dropped.

Nate was dead...she could feel it in her bones. The memory of the bald man shooting him replayed itself in her brain until she physically became sick.

Why didn't she hold onto Shaun? Why did it have to be him? He didn't deserve to die like that...he didn't deserve to die at all.

While deep in her thoughts the door to her room slid open, revealing a young woman dressed in a similar burgundy robe as the first.

"Hello! It's nice to meet you, I'm Scribe Gomez." She shook Kate's hand. "I'm going to be helping you get ready."

Get ready for what?

"Where am I?" She finally asked.

"The Citadel, in the Capital Wasteland." She took a moment to let the information sink in. "Don't worry, this is the safest place you could possibly be. Head Scribe Rothchild told me about your past...you must be so confused. I'm happy to answer any questions you might have, ma'am."

"Capital?... You mean like...Washington?"

"Yes, I suppose that's what they called it in your time. I don't understand why though," she chuckled "...naming an entire district over a man seems quite silly."

Nothing she said made sense...Capital Wasteland, past and time...it felt like Kate was missing a big piece of their conversation. "I don't understand what's happening...where's my baby?"

"Baby?" The young woman raised a brow. "Um...what baby?"

"MY baby. The one that you stole before taking me! Where is he? Where is Shaun?!"

The poor girl backed away slowly until she hit the wall, nervously stammering that she didn't know anything about a baby or Nate being killed. Kate was almost to the point of tears when she finally agreed to get someone who has more information.

Minutes later, a bald-headed man walked in with a permanent frown plastered on his face. "Hello there, Katelyn. I am Paladin Greene, head of capture and return. I've been assigned to your case for several weeks now. I have to say I'm glad to see you've recovered all of your faculties."

"Where is my son?"

"He isn't here." The man spoke carelessly. "We've tried looking for him but it appears that the chamber he was in was already opened. The man with him was dead and we assume somebody already came at some point and took him."

"My husband."

"Excuse me?"

"My husband was the one in that chamber...he was holding our son, Shaun, when a man came and took him. Please, you have to find him! He's only four months old..."

Greene sighed and took a seat on the old sofa in the corner, patting the open space beside him for her to sit. "I know this is hard for you to come to terms with but your son is most likely dead...we have no idea when or why he was kidnapped. It could've been a year ago or one-hundred years ago. I'm sorry."

Kate felt her stomach drop to the floor. "No...he's a baby. He's my baby. Please, he's still out there, I can feel it."

"It's tragic, I know. Waking up in this world confused and alone is enough to drive a person mad. But you, you're special...it's why we have taken such an interest in you."

She looked at him as if he were insane, which perhaps he was. "What are you talking about?"

"You are one of a kind, Katelyn, your genetics were frozen when the bombs dropped 208 years ago. All this time you've been trapped underground just waiting to be saved from that cryo chamber...and now you're here."

"208 years ago? Oh god..."

"It's remarkable, isn't it? You've been perfectly preserved in the prime of your life. And now you're going to go down in history as the woman who continued the Maxson legacy."

"I just want my baby back, please! There has to be a way for you to find him..." She broke down in tears.

Paladin Greene patted her back carefully. "I admire your dedication as a mother. It's going to make Elder Maxson very proud."

"What are you talking about?" She wiped her eyes. "What legacy?"

"The legacy of Elder Arthur Maxson...as of today, he is your new husband."

"Are you insane?" She scoffed in his face before standing up to try and open the locked door. "I'm already married!"

"You were...and then he died. Now, you are Elder Maxson's bride."

"No. I am not getting married! I don't care who it is, I refuse! Who the hell do you think you are?"

"It's already done." Greene chuckled. "As of twenty-three minutes ago, you are now Katelyn Maxson."

"What? I didn't agree to anything!"

"That's irrelevant...as part of our codex, we don't need your consent. You aren't Brotherhood, therefore, you have no rights here."

"What Brotherhood? What are you talking about?!" Kate shouted. "This entire thing is illegal."

"You'll come to learn that laws do not exist in the Wasteland. Not anymore." He smiled. "Now, why don't you let my scribe help you get ready, hmm? You're due to meet your husband in one hour."

"I'm not meeting anyone! I demand that you take me back to the Vault!"

Greene laughed as if she were a child demanding a new color crayon. "You are no longer in control, Katelyn. You're property of the Brotherhood of Steel...it's best you remember that from now on."

The door slid open as he approached it, showing the young scribe waiting outside with a folded gown in her arms. The realization of what was going to happen suddenly flooded Kate's mind.

"Scribe Gomez, you may proceed with helping Lady Maxson get ready." He walked out of the room before turning on his heel. "Oh, and Katelyn? Be on your best behavior...I would hate to have thawed you out for nothing."


	2. Chapter 2

Kate was escorted around what seemed to be the ruins of the Pentagon at midnight, dressed in a sheer pink gown that swept across the ground as she walked. Her hair had been pulled back into a knot that Scribe Gomez called 'sexy' which made her all the more sick to her stomach.

While getting ready she explained that her new husband was a wonderful soldier, that he was well-respected within their ranks and other garbage that she refused to believe. No man worthy of such praise was capable of forcing a marriage onto somebody...only a sick, twisted person could do such a thing. And that's what she wanted him to be; so foul and corrupt that escaping him would be her greatest accomplishment. Then she could get back to what matters most...finding Shaun.

"We're here!" Scribe Gomez spoke in a sing-song tone. "Are you excited? I'm sure Elder Maxson is so anxious to meet you!"

Kate glared daggers at the woman.

She pressed a buzzer that unlocked the outer door, allowing her to press in a code that unlocked another. Great, top of the line security to keep her trapped forever. That's just what she needed. They walked down a long corridor that led further underground, cameras rotating around a turret that beeped ominously.

"I'll let you introduce yourself." The woman escorted her to the last door. "And don't worry about making too much noise...these walls are soundproof."

Disgusting.

She winked and opened the door, practically shoving her inside and wishing her luck with her new life. If tasers still existed, Kate would've loved to zap her between the ribs like a thief in the supermarket parking lot.

Behind her, she could hear the doors shut and lock, making her heart melt.

She was now alone with this person...what if he hurt her? What if he tried to touch her? Judging from the name she could already guess that he was an older man, probably near dementia and needing a new wife to take care of him like a hospice nurse. Was that really the only reason they unfroze her?... Just to tend to the needs of an elderly man?

Her eyes peeked open to find a weapon she could arm herself with, but all she saw were stacks of books and strewn papers in what looked to be a living area. Across from that laid a kitchen and small dining table with wilted flowers resting in a vase like a bad omen, a warning sign to get out now.

She could feel him watching her from across the dormitory, calculating her every move like a predator. His breathing was slow and cautious, seemingly unsure of whether or not to make the first move.

Kate decided to turn and look him in the face, she didn't want to appear weak after all. If she had to fight to get back her freedom, she was going to do it dauntlessly.

She whipped her head toward him with a harsh glare ready to attack but froze when her eyes rested on his face.

... _Oh_...

He was young.

A teenager, in fact. All innocence and nerves; it was obvious in how his hands idly fumbled over one another, how his eyes were a mixture of worry and blue. The only defining characteristic was a long scar that ran across his right cheek like a jagged stream.

This was her new husband? This boy?...

"Good evening." He lowered his head in respect. "I am Arthur Maxson, Elder of the Brotherhood of Steel."

He sounded so rehearsed, so timid that Kate couldn't decide if he was dangerous or not. How could a child like this organize an arranged marriage? Why did he even need a wife? Surely, he knew how to tie his own shoes...

"And you're Katelyn Bianchi, right? No...of course you are. That was a stupid question." He rambled nervously. "I-...I guess we're married now."

"No, we aren't." Kate snapped at him. "There was no ceremony, no vows, no kiss. _Nothing_. We are not married, do you understand?"

At that moment she felt more of his mother than his wife, the silence following so tense they could have heard a pin drop.

"There was a ceremony, actually. You just weren't there." Arthur muttered softly under his breath.

Kate sneered in his direction. "How old are you? Because you seem far too young to be in charge around here."

"I'm eighteen...today, actually." He looked at the clock which read 12:09.

"You're a child." Kate huffed. "You have no business being married. Especially to somebody who is already spoken for."

"I heard about your previous husband...I'm sorry."

"No, you're not. If you were then you wouldn't have dragged me out here against my will. Do you really think I don't have a life that I need to get back to? That there aren't people who still need me? My son is missing and I'm 500 miles away in this hell hole!"

Arthur remained quiet, breaking contact to stare into the dining area. "Um, you should eat something...here." He placed a piece of fruit in front of her, hoping to break the tension.

"I'm not hungry."

"Are you thirsty? I have some water." He moved to open the cooler that sat in the corner.

"I'm fine."

He pulled out a sealed bottle and anxiously walked back over, leaving Kate to realize that she stood at least six inches taller than him.

"Please, drink some." He offered. "It's the least I could do, really."

She sighed and took the water, popping the seal and tilting her head to take a satisfying sip. It must've been bottled before she was frozen, she could taste the metallic residue that had been built up for centuries. It tasted how Nate would describe MRE rations. Bitter and acidic with a touch of mildew. The memory of his description made her smile slightly.

"You look beautiful." Arthur commented.

She looked down to glare at him.

"Sorry...I don't really know what to say. I've imagined this moment a thousand times in my head. I just never imagined you to hate me."

"I don't know you." She remarked. "I don't even know what it looks like outside. This whole world is foreign to me."

"Didn't you see some of it on your flight here? I thought it was pretty nice from that view, all the buildings and hills."

"I was sedated."

"Oh." He looked away with a frustrated sigh. "I told them that wasn't necessary...it was probably Knight Hayes, right? He never listens to me."

Kate watched as he sat back on the couch, running a hand through the mess of curls on top of his head. He looked stressed beyond his years, purple bags sat under his eyes while his lip looked swollen from being bitten so much. She thought back to when Scribe Gomez told her of how respected he was, how much everyone looked up to him. It amazed her that a child could be viewed in such a way. They looked at him like royalty when in reality he was a misguided boy.

"Are you really in charge around here?" She decided to ask. "Of everything?"

"Yes. I've managed to run the Brotherhood singlehandedly ever since I was sixteen. I'm the youngest Elder in history, actually."

"Why would they let a kid have that much responsibility?"

There was more silence and Arthur turned to stare at the clock, clearly not willing to answer her questions.

"Are you ready for bed?" He asked instead.

Panic swarmed Kate's eyes as she glanced at him with fear.

"I didn't-...I mean, sleep! Are you tired?"

"Oh." She sighed in relief. "...I'm fine."

"Would you like to lie down at least? You've had a rough couple of days, I would understand if you needed a break from conversation."

"I said I'm fine."

He seemed to know that she was lying, perhaps it was the way her eyes glazed over with exhaustion. "I could sleep on the couch...would that make you feel better?"

She hesitated for a moment but nodded.

"Very well, I'll grab an extra blanket. You can make yourself at home."

While Arthur dove into a small closet she decided to move toward the large bed in the center of the room, crawling onto it and covering herself with the thick blanket made of some type of fur. Did animals still exist? God, she hoped so...

From her spot she could keep an eye on her new husband, just in case he tried anything during the night. She hadn't planned on sleeping, just observing him to make sure he wasn't a complete psychopath. With any luck he was a deep enough sleeper that she could explore the room for any weaknesses in security.

When Arthur walked to the light switch, however, she nearly shouted at him.

"No, keep the lights on!"

He froze. "Why?"

"I don't trust you." She blurted out.

"Oh," he nodded "...of course. I understand that." He moved away and laid back on the couch, rolling away so that she couldn't see his face. "Sleep well, Katelyn."

Damn it... She had no reason to feel guilty. He was the one who forced her out here in the first place...maybe it was because he was still a kid or maybe the exhaustion had finally driven her mad.

"It's Kate." She offered up. "Just...Kate."

He looked back at her with a soft smile before turning back and settling into his pillow. "Goodnight, Kate."


	3. Chapter 3

**October 2nd, 2285**

"I have to say, I'm very displeased with your progress, Arthur." 

"...It's only been two weeks." 

"That's plenty of time for her blood work to test back positive." The doctor scolded him. "A healthy young man such as yourself should have no trouble conceiving a child on the first try, especially with someone of her background." 

Arthur cringed at hearing him speak so clinically. Ever since he was ten years old, this was the man who tapped on his knees to test his reflexes, who stitched up his face when he came back from fighting that deathclaw...he was the closest thing to a father figure aside from Owen Lyons. This was the same man who lectured him on drinking enough water when he was a boy...and now he was being berated for not getting his wife pregnant on time? It was twisted. 

"I don't know what you want me to say," Arthur deadpanned "-Kate doesn't want me." 

"It may sound harsh, but what she wants is irrelevant. It is her duty as your wife to provide you heirs...beyond that she is useless." 

"You're right, that does sound harsh. Are you saying that I should rape her? Force her to want me?"

"I'm saying that you must do what is in your power." The man clarified. "Seduce her, woo her, and if she still does not seem up to the task...I'll leave that at your discretion." 

Arthur looked away, too disgusted to even consider the idea. "Why can't we just inseminate her?" 

"That's a last resort. For that to happen, your sample would be exposed to air, giving it less of a chance of succeeding. The risk of contamination is too high. The sole reason we've brought you this woman is because of her pre-war genetics...if she cannot conceive naturally then there was really no point in bringing her here." 

"Then let her leave, she claims to have a missing child...let her go find him." 

"That child is most likely dead. It could've been kidnapped at any point since the bombs dropped and the trail is too cold to search now...the woman is best kept here where she is safe and looked after." 

"Oh please," Arthur rolled his eyes "...you don't care about her. She's just an incubator to you people. Kate is terrified and worried, we should let her leave so she could at least try and find her son, even if it is hopeless." 

"You're being selfish, Arthur." The man stood up. "Do you realize that your children could be born with almost no radiation damage? That they could drink from a bosom that has organic nutrients from before the war? They would be among the elite before ever being born." 

"I would rather have children with a willing participant." 

The doctor scoffed and walked away, flipping through papers on his desk while clicking his tongue at Arthur like he was a misguided child. "I'm testing her again in one month...don't disappoint me." He warned. 

* * * 

Arthur paced outside his quarters, knowing that Kate was inside peacefully resting; blissfully unaware to the fact that everyone outside their small sanctuary was waiting for her to fall pregnant as if it would somehow save the existence of the Brotherhood.

To her, she was simply stuck in a marriage to someone younger than her...that's all she knew. Her brain was focused on mourning her family, her world; not on him and the needs of his people. 

To her, she was just his babysitter...how was he supposed to go in there and break that illusion? 

In two weeks of marriage they only exchanged short sentences, never going into anything deeper than dinner and sleeping arrangements. (Everything usually tasted weird, he almost always slept on the couch...) And Arthur was alright with that. He understood that relationships had to grow over time, it's why he never bothered her with touching or lewd conversation; he wanted her to be the first to initiate it. 

That, however, didn't stop him from wishing things were different...but he was patient...he knew that given enough time things might change for the better. At least, that's what he told himself. 

"Good morning, Kate." He greeted her once inside. "I trust you slept well?"

She sat on the bed with a book in her lap, not even bothering to look up from the yellowing pages that demanded her attention. "Not really." She spoke under her breath. 

Arthur's mouth twitched into a smile for a moment. Honesty. He liked that. For so long, so many people just told him what he wanted to hear, never treating him like an actual person. 

He was just a Maxson, nothing else defined him.

But Kate was different. She wasn't bound by codes and rules, she could tell him exactly how she felt without consequence. 

"May I have a seat?" He eyed the empty space on the bed. 

"Do whatever you want, I don't care." She grumbled harshly. 

Arthur decided to stay put, too uncomfortable to challenge her or move for that matter. Kate seemed to notice his awkward hesitation and looked up from the pages, slight guilt crossing her features. 

"You left early." She decided to break the tension. "I woke up and you were gone." 

"I went to see our doctor."

"The one who took my blood yesterday?" 

"That's the one." 

Her eyes went back to the book in her lap. "I don't like him." 

"At the moment, neither do I..." he took a shallow inhale "Katelyn, there's something we need to discuss-"

"Are you sick?" 

"Pardon?" 

"Are you sick?" She repeated. "Like...you need a transplant or something? Is that why I was brought here?... Why they took my blood? Why everyone keeps looking at me like I'm some sort of saint?" She scoffed lightly. 

"No. I wish it were that simple." 

"So, what's going on then? Why does your doctor need my blood?" 

Arthur sighed hopelessly and moved to sit on the edge of the bed, allowing her enough room to run if she had to. "May I speak bluntly?"

She nodded and he cleared his throat. 

"My staff is displeased with the progression of our relationship. They had expected you to be with child by now...my child." 

Kate's eyes flickered with fear for a moment before melting into sadness, he could see the swell of tears begin to fill them up as she forced her face away from him. "Oh...so, that's why I'm here...to give you a baby. Even though m-my son is gone I'm just supposed to forget about him and...and-" 

"Don't cry," Arthur whispered. "I'm not, I didn't mean-..."

"I don't want your baby. I want MY baby!" 

"I know. I know, alright?" He stammered. "We don't have to do anything, I promise! I don't want a baby either, I just want you to stop crying. Please." 

"How can I trust anything you say?" She scoffed. "You're aren't just one of them, you're in charge! Nothing you do can make up for that." 

"Ask me anything." He pleaded. "I'll tell the truth, Kate, I swear! I'm on your side." 

She took a shaky breath and found her icy stare, looking up at him with a mix of anger and determination. "Fine. Were you the one who sent for me?" 

Arthur deflated slightly. "You're asking if I had my men track you down because of your genetics?" 

She nodded while wiping away tears. 

"No." He answered. "They did that on their own accord."

"Did you know about the wedding beforehand?" 

"I was told when I was made Elder that I would be married at the age of eighteen. I didn't plan it or anything, you have to believe me."

Kate relaxed slightly and leaned back against the bed, the book in her hands long forgotten. Arthur seemed to be telling the truth, she could see how desperate he looked in his eyes. In a weird way, it reminded her of Nate and how terrified he looked when they got into their very first argument. 

While borrowing his car for the weekend she found an empty condom wrapper on the floor, carelessly tossed aside like he hadn't even tried to hide it.

She was livid, throwing out all of his things and trashing their small apartment while he begged her to believe him. He claimed to know nothing about it and that he would never do that to her, all while she screamed at him to leave. 

In the end, it was his younger brother who had borrowed the car a week before she had. His girlfriend was disliked throughout the family and Nate's car was the only place where they could be alone. The poor kid apologized profusely for it, and Kate felt so horrible for not trusting the man she loved. 

Even now she could remember the look on his face when she accused him of being unfaithful. He wasn't even angry at the time, just desperate to gain her trust back. 

Arthur shared that same look now.

"How old were you?" She asked, now calm. 

"What?" 

"When they told you about the wedding...how old were you?" 

"Sixteen." 

"Is that customary or something?... To marry off children?"

"No. I'm a special case." He sighed. "My great, great, great grandfather founded the Brotherhood of Steel. I'm the last of his descendants...once I die, there will be no more heirs. That's why you were brought here." 

"Lucky me." She scoffed. "Out of all the women in the world it just had to be me..." 

"I hope you know that I'm sorry." Arthur offered. "I know you never asked for this and I can understand why you don't like me. But for what it's worth...I was very happy to marry you, Kate." 

"Why?" 

He stood up and paced for a moment in front of the bed. "From what I was told, you were well-educated and studied law pre-war...I found that very interesting. And well, when I saw you..." He paused.

Kate eyed him warily, waiting for him to finish. 

"-you're beautiful, luce mia." 

Her brow tensed up. "What did you call me?" 

"It's Italian." Arthur stated. "Your Vault-Tec records said that's where you were born." 

"It was, but I left when I was a baby. I never even learned the language." 

"That's a shame...because I learned a great deal for you. I still have a few books around if you'd like to study." He had a hint of a smile. "Perhaps we could have our own private language." 

Once again, she was reminded of Nate. And not because he also spoke Italian (because that's where he was from) but because Arthur shared the same look he had on their sixth date.

He was falling in love with her. 

Kate rolled out of his view and grabbed her book again, retreating into the pages to gather herself. 

"I'm getting tired." She muttered. "Don't you have work to do or something?" 

She listened to Arthur inwardly sigh. "Yes...I should be back after dinner. Don't wait up."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> luce mia = my light


	4. Chapter 4

**November 23rd, 2285**

"The test was negative."

"Damn." Arthur pretended to look frustrated, even though he knew the results of Kate's pregnancy test before it was taken. "Perhaps she's infertile."

"She's not. You're just lying." The doctor glared knowingly.

"What do you want from me? It isn't happening and frankly, I don't care. I'm not ready to become a father."

"It is your duty as the last Maxson, you knew that ever since you were a boy."

"And that's supposed to make things easier? I didn't ask for this life, you know."

"No, you were blessed with it." The man sighed and sat beside him. "You need heirs, Arthur, before it's too late. Now, I suggest you take my advice seriously and lay with your wife...otherwise we will take action."

"Great," He threw his hands up. "I've been asking since day one for you to inseminate her-"

"That isn't what I'm talking about."

"You'll release her? Even better. She deserves freedom."

"Enough!" The man shouted. "My patience is running thin. If you cannot consummate your marriage by the new year, then we are bound by the codex to be there when it happens."

Arthur sputtered for a moment. "W-wait...you don't mean-?"

"Either consummate your marriage on your own or do it in front of myself and the council, whether she wants it or not."

"You mean rape her?" He glared. "Don't dance around words...you want me to rape her."

The doctor chuckled and returned to his papers. "Call it what you want. But it is your duty to provide the Brotherhood heirs...do it now or else. I'm not going to warn you again."

* * *

Kate wiped down the dining table for what had to be the tenth time today. Everything was so boring within the walls of their room, and she could only read for so long without getting a headache.

She wanted to go outside...to see what the world looked like.

Did trees still exist? Big, lush ones that provided enough shade for a small crowd?

She remembered studying for final exams under the big oak tree on campus, Nate would sometimes stop by and bring her a sandwich when he wasn't too busy. Turkey on whole wheat...that was her favorite.

The door opened abruptly and she turned to see Arthur walk past her without his usual hello. Instead, he sat on the edge of the bed, hanging his head for a moment before murmuring soft words under his breath.

"Shield yourself from those not bound to you by steel, for they are the blind." He kept repeating.

It sounded like a script, maybe some sort of mantra. She walked closer to hear him say it over and over again as if it somehow calmed him.

"Shield yourself from those not bound to you by steel, for they are the blind...doesn't make sense anymore." He sighed.

The mattress dipped as she sat beside him.

"Are you alright?"

"No." His eyes met hers before looking down. "Not really."

"It's because of me...isn't it?"

Arthur said nothing, which was enough of an answer for her.

For a moment, she thought about placing a comforting hand on his shoulder, maybe even patting him on the back but nothing felt right. In her mind, Arthur might take it as a sign that she wanted more...that she somehow was okay with their relationship.

Which, as more time passed...she was.

Lately, she found that they fell into a comfortable routine. They would always eat breakfast together and talk about what life was like before the war, sometimes read each other passages from books that they enjoyed...other times they just sat in comfortable silence, content with the other's presence. Somehow over the course of one month, Kate suddenly felt on good terms with her husband. Like they were friends. It was a blissful illusion that always seemed to shatter when he put on his uniform. That damn royal blue robe was a constant reminder that Kate didn't choose this life with him...she was forced into it.

Arthur moved on the bed, forcing her back into their silent discussion when he leaned over to grab a cigarette from the nightstand.

Kate watched in fascination as he lit it up like he had done it a million times before.

"You're too young to smoke." She scolded mildly.

"I'm also too young to be married...but here we are."

"They're giving you a hard time, aren't they?" She spoke softly. "They want me to be pregnant."

Arthur nodded slowly while the smoke rolled in his mouth.

"I'm sorry...you don't deserve to have more pressure stacked on top of you."

He exhaled. "I'm used to it. And besides...between us, I would rather keep you happy than them."

"Why?"

He looked up from his cigarette to meet her eyes. "Because you're my wife. E tu sei l'unico per me..."

"You know I can't understand you, right?"

A smile crossed his face. "I know...but every time I say something you blush a little bit."

Kate gushed, not denying it. "Say something else."

Arthur smirked and turned to face her, examining her features intensely before dropping to a whisper. "Hai gli occhi più belli." 

"You could be calling me a shrewd and it would still sound so pretty." She chuckled. 

"I would never do that." His hand found hers on the bed, resting over it like a blanket. "Is this okay?" He asked.

Kate looked down at where their hands met. Her fingers moved to interlock with his, squeezing lightly in appreciation. It felt nice to actually touch him. "You should sleep in the bed tonight...with me." 

Arthur frowned, looking away before taking his hand back. "Kate, I'm going to be leaving the Citadel for a number of days on an expedition. Shouldn't be longer than a week but you never know with these things." 

"Oh. Well, where does that leave me? Am I just supposed to stay locked up in here?"

"You really think I'd do that to you?...No. You'll be free to do whatever you'd like. My staff won't bother you."

"Not even the doctor?"

"No. I've made sure to give him a lot of paperwork that'll keep him occupied. I just came back here to pack up and let you know."

"Wait, you're leaving _now_?" She felt oddly disappointed. "You haven't eaten or-"

"I'm sorry. I just found out about it a few hours ago." He stood up and grabbed a pack of gear that sat in the corner, moving to place a few items in it as he spoke. "If you need anything just let Paladin Greene know, he'll take care of it."

"I hate that guy." She muttered.

"He's a good man, just a little hard to understand." He walked to the door and gave her a polite nod. "Get some rest, luce mia. I'll see you in a few days."

Kate watched him open the door and felt a pit in her stomach. It was the same kind of dread she felt when Nate left for duty.

"Arthur, wait!" She ran to the door. "Is it dangerous out there? I mean...you told me stories about monsters and mutants, is that what you're going to do? Exterminate them or whatever?"

He nodded. "There's a nest of deathclaws that has been threatening one of our outposts north of here. I'm leading the team dispatched the area."

"That sounds...scary." She admitted.

"It's going to be fine, Kate. I know how to handle myself in a fight."

"But what if something happens? What if you get wounded?"

"Then, frankly, I get wounded." He shrugged. "That's life out here, luce mia, it's dangerous."

She let out a frustrated sigh and crossed her arms pointedly. "You don't get it-"

"Then tell me what I'm missing."

"I...don't want you to die." 

Arthur's lips twitched into a smile for a moment, reminding her just how young he really was. "I'm not going to die. I promise."

Those were the exact same words that Nate spoke to her before deploying.

She unexpectedly rammed herself into his chest, feeling his arms wrap around her protectively. Even standing inches taller she felt safe in his embrace.

"Just be careful, alright?" She whispered into him. "I don't want to be a widow again."

He pulled away slow, regarding her with gentle eyes. His fingers moved to push her hair behind her ear while his lips moved to tenderly peck her cheek.

"Vivrò per te, luce mia."

 

**December 3rd, 2285**

 

When Arthur finally returned from his trip, Kate was left feeling bitter and angry, mostly at herself.

The first few days without him went smooth. She was able to wash clothes, even take a stroll around the courtyard with the watchful eye of Paladin Greene. Everything seemed fine...she wasn't worried, there was no sinking feeling that he might've gotten hurt...nothing. She believed him when he promised to stay safe. And judging by how highly everyone spoke of him, Kate wasn't worried about his combat skills. 

Overall, the expedition turned out to be a pleasant break from spending all her time in their small home, no matter how much she missed her husband. 

Day six, however, was when everything changed. 

There was an attack...something called mirelurks were attacking out of the water. She was in the courtyard when the alarm started to ring; dozens of soldiers spilled out of the main gate to assist in the fight, Paladin Greene included. 

She was left alone. 

Everyone was so focused on the fight that they forgot about her...even better? The gates were left wide open. It was her golden opportunity to escape, to get back to the vault and find Shaun before more time passed. It was her only shot at ever finding him alive. 

Only she didn't take it. Instead, she went back inside the walls. 

Why? Becuase of Arthur. 

Because she didn't want to just leave without ever seeing him again. She...liked him. And not in a friend sort of way, she missed him. She wanted him to come back safe so that they could continue talking and getting to know one another. She wanted to spend endless days by his side, supporting him and making sure he wasn't too overwhelmed with work. Part of her felt responsible for making sure he was alright. 

And for whatever reason, that just made her all the more angry. She threw away her one chance of freedom on somebody she had just met. 

It was stupid, beyond pathetic...and it may have cost her son his life. 

Arthur greeted her warmly as he walked into their home, his face covered with a thin layer of sweat and dirt from the outside world. Kate glanced at him before forcing her eyes away...she didn't want to care. Didn't want to let him know how much she actually missed him. 

But she did, more than she wanted to admit. 

"Sorry, it took so long-" he rambled on "...there was a significant amount of damage to the outpost than we originally anticipated. The deathclaws had eggs in just about every crevice you could imagine..."

"I thought you died." She cut him off sharply. 

"I'm sorry, Kate, really. I sent out someone to give you an update but it seems they didn't make the trip back."

She remained silent, arms crossed and back turned to him.

"I'm happy to see you. I missed hearing your voice."

She gave him nothing. 

Arthur picked up on her energy and moved to face her, seeing the intense anger in her eyes. For a moment he seemed confused on whether he should touch her, but decided against it. 

"Are you alright?" 

"Does it look like I'm alright?" She replied curtly.

He sighed and unlaced his shoes, looking up at the clock to see that it was nearly midnight. "Would you like the bed to yourself?" He asked. "I'd be happy on the couch." 

Kate looked up to meet his eyes, feeling slightly guilty for acting so harsh. Just a week ago she was so excited to have him sleeping beside her.

"That isn't necessary."

"Are you sure?" He asked softly. "You just seem so repulsed by me."

That broke her heart a little.

"Arthur...that isn't true." She sighed. "I just never wanted this, you know that."

"I know. I've heard it all before."

She felt the need to defend herself, to tell him that she never wanted to be his bride. All she ever wanted was her child back. But he was right...he had heard it all before.

"If I ever get the chance to leave then I'm taking it, do you get that?"

Arthur scoffed and walked past her, removing his gear until he was shirtless. It was clear that he was annoyed, he began muttering that strange mantra under his breath again like a nervous tick. She even heard him curse while removing the bulk of his ammo from his bag. 

"What?" She finally snapped. "You want to say something, then say it. Don't hold back just because I'm your wife."

He turned to stare at her, his arms and chest exposed. It hadn't occurred to her until then that she only ever saw him in uniform or in t-shirts...never anything else. There was a large tattoo on his right shoulder, it looked like a sword surrounded by gears. Across his belly was a scar that had three long gashes...almost like a demon ripped him open. 

"You're frustrating. You know that?"

"Excuse me?" She almost laughed. 

He walked back to her and looked her in the eyes, a fire lingering behind them. "You call me young, treat me like a kid, yet somehow you look at me and smile at me like there's nobody else in the world." 

"I-"

"Don't talk." He held a finger up. "Just listen." 

Kate felt her cheeks heat up at his sudden display of dominance. Her eyes grew wide as he crowded her, assaulting her with the smell of dirt and blood from outside. 

"I love you, Kate. Even though you hate me, I still love you. Now, I know that you don't want to be here and I know that you don't see me as your husband, but I am. The least you could do is not bite my head off the moment I get back from a long trip." 

His confession hit her like a bullet. 

"I never said that I didn't love you." She admitted. 

"You certainly act like it." 

"Yeah...because it's hard, okay? I never imagined feeling this way again. I loved my husband so much..." her voice broke "-...that now even feeling a fraction of love for you feels like a betrayal to him."

Arthur's face softened. "I never asked you to stop loving your husband."

"That's the point...you never ask anything of me, even when it gets you into trouble with your staff. You just love me unconditionally."

"Because you're my wife. E tu sei il mio mondo."

Kate felt lost in his words, his eyes as well. Against her better judgment she decided to do something stupid...she kissed him.

A confused noise left Arthur before fully connecting with her mouth, kissing her back with a stark passion that left him weak in the knees. She tasted warm, sinful almost...he couldn't help but wrap his arms around her waist like nothing else mattered. 

Her hands buried themselves in his hair, pulling him closer as she whispered his name between breaths. He was soft and gentle, letting her take control of every movement. And when she finally pulled away, he didn't force her for more...he just stared down at her with half-lidded eyes and slightly swollen lips.

"Wow." He whispered.

Kate pulled back with an exhausted breath, looking away from the yearning in his eyes to avoid getting sucked back in.

"We...we can't do that again."

"Why not?" His hand smoothed down her hair. "I liked it, didn't you?"

"I meant what I said, Arthur...if I ever have the chance to leave then I'm taking it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> E tu sei l'unico per me = and you're the only one for me 
> 
> hai gli occhi più belli = you have the most beautiful eyes
> 
> Vivrò per te = I will live for you 
> 
> E tu sei il mio mondo = and you are my world


	5. Chapter 5

**December 18th, 2285**

Kate grunted as she tripped up the stairs to what looked like a wrecked ship, trying to hide from the blaring alarm coming from the Citadel. 

The sounds of distant shouting and stomping filled her stomach with dread as it quickly approached. Someone must've seen her escape...it was the only reason they would've tracked her down so quickly. 

Arthur was probably looking too, worried to death over her safety. He had no idea that the kiss they shared this morning would be their last...only Kate knew. Which is why she savored every second of it...

Shame washed over her as she thought of him pacing, nervously lighting up a cigarette while he waited for news. 

She wanted to leave a note...she should've left a note. 

As she stood up from the metal track she saw a young boy and an older adult waiting for the bridge to extend from the ship. The child took notice of her right away, looking at how her palms bled from where she fell down. 

"Are you okay?" He asked nervously. 

Kate licked her lips and exhaled, trying to keep calm for the boy's sake. "I need help...please, can you tell me where-?"

"You're hurt." He frowned and turned to the adult. "Daddy, she's bleeding." 

The boy's father turned and looked her up and down, scoffing and looking away again. "She's fine. Just ignore her." 

"Please, I'm desperate...I just need directions." 

She could hear the sounds of patrols growing louder as they shouted at passersby. From her spot on the staircase she could see them in the distance, armed with large weapons and moving impossibly fast. They were determined on finding her, it seemed. 

"Look, lady," the boy's father continued "-I'm not interested in whatever you're doing. You want chems then wait until you get inside. Leave my son alone." 

Kate panicked, looking back at the man with pleading eyes. "They're after me! Please...I don't have time to run, I need help!" 

"I told you I'm not interested." 

"But-!" 

"Daddy, we have to help her...she looks scared." The boy whimpered. 

"Duncan, we came here to find a doctor...now, remember what I told you about minding our own business? We gotta be careful out here." 

"...But she's crying."

The father seethed but looked up at Kate with sharp eyes. "Hide. Fast." 

Kate nodded thankfully and scrambled to crouch behind a trash can not far away, clinging to it for cover as she heard heavy stomps coming up the stairs a few moments later. 

"You." A soldier spoke to the father. "We're looking for a woman...black hair, dark blue robe. Have you seen anyone matching that description?" Before he could answer the man seemed to recognize him and broke into a hearty laugh. "Hey...it's MacCready, right?" 

"Do I know you?" 

"We grew up in Little Lamplight together. Charles, remember?" 

"Oh yeah..." he drawled "-didn't think you were the type to join the Brotherhood of dicks. Waste of talent if you ask me...you would'a made a good slaver." He paused thoughtfully. "Although, I guess there isn't much of a difference, is there?" 

The man scoffed lightly and pressed on with his questioning. "Have you seen the woman? Black hair?" 

"Yeah, I saw her." 

"Tell us. Now. If you refuse then you'll be placed under arrest for further questioning." 

MacCready broke into a wide grin. "Sure, I'll tell you...for a few hundred caps." 

Charles grunted and pulled out a bag that rattled as he tossed it into his arms. "Useless merc..." 

"Hey, I gotta make a living too." He chuckled and pointed behind them. "She went into the old subway tunnel, asked for directions to the nearest deathclaw nest...looked pretty suicidal to me." 

"Shit. Move out!" Charles yelled at his squad.

Kate listened as four sets of feet stomped back down the stairs and further away from them. For a moment she was too afraid to stand up...had the stranger told them the truth, she would've been dragged right back to the Citadel. The thought terrified her. 

"They're gone." Duncan said cheerfully. 

Kate peeked over the garbage can before pulling herself up shakily. "Thank you." 

"Whatever, lady." MacCready huffed. "At least I got some caps out of it."

They began to walk across the now extended bridge when Kate hesitated. She had no idea where she was or if there were more patrols out looking for her. Calmly, she reached out and grabbed the man's elbow. "Wait, I...I don't know this area anymore. I need to get back to Massachusetts. Can you tell me where to go?" 

"Massa-what?" MacCready raised a brow. "You mean the Commonwealth?"

Kate nodded.

"Are you a fugitive or something?" 

"Yes. Now, will you please help me?" 

"Hell no. It's one thing to be a fugitive, it's another to be a Brotherhood fugitive. Besides, I don't know how to get there." 

"Dad...aren't we gonna go to the Commonwealth if the doctor here can't help us?"

"Quiet." 

"But _dad,_ " the boy tugged on his arm "...she can come with us! She can stay at the farm until we're ready to go!" 

"Duncan." MacCready hissed. "You can't just invite people to our home! She could be dangerous." 

"But she looks nice." 

"I-I am! And I'm a hard worker too...I mean, you don't have to pay me or anything. Just as long as you take me to the Commonwealth. I can clean up, even cook...please." 

"Fuck. No." He reiterated. "I'm not getting killed for you."

"Dad," Duncan stuck out his lower lip "...she needs our help. What about mom?... What would she have done?"

MacCready flickered with sadness for a moment before taking a long breath. "Fine. You can come with us after the doctor takes a look at my son. But I'm warning you now, if you so much as pull out a sharp paperclip on us then you'll be dead before you make a move. Got it? I'm watching you." 

Kate almost pulled the man into a hug. "Thank you! Thank you so much! I promise, I'll be good!" She smiled. "I'll be out of your hair in no time, I promise!" 

**October 23rd, 2287**

Kate tapped her foot impatiently on the concrete walkway. "Hurry it up! I was supposed to meet Nick at the Memory Den thirty minutes ago. You know how he gets when I make him wait." 

MacCready was bent over the crate of goods that Daisy had set out on the counter, the top of his hat was the only thing she could see while he rifled through the assorted supplies. 

"Don't get your panties in a twist, I'm getting a package together for Duncan." He picked up a box of snack cakes and shook it to see if it was still full. "Halloween is in a few days and I want him to have something nice. How much is this?" He asked Daisy.

"Thirty caps." 

"Yeah, but what about after the friends and family discount." He winked. 

"That _is_ after the discount." The ghoul laughed. "And my family is dead so don't get wise on me, MacCready." 

"Damn it." He sighed. "I'm short a few...boss, could ya spare something?" 

She smiled and pulled a few caps from her pocket, tossing it on the counter while Daist lit up happily. "Here, put something in from me. And for God sake, add an apple...his teeth are gonna rot."

"You want me to put in _fruit_ ?" He scoffed. "Worst aunt ever." 

Kate chuckled as she hauled their bags over her shoulder. "Oh, shut up. I'm heading to the Den...meet me here after, alright?" 

"Good luck." He waved her off while still looking through the box. "Say hi to Nick for me." 

An hour later MacCready resigned to the nearest bench to clean his rifle, looking around at the traders who were stopping in to pick up goods. He spoke with the man stopping at his farm upstate for a while before moving to see another merchant he knew, one that Duncan adored. 

"Hey! Frankie, right? It's been awhile." He greeted her. 

The woman wore a friendly smile as she shook his hand. "MacCready...just got back from seeing your boy. He's looking a lot better these days."

"That's a relief...I'm glad that cure actually worked!" 

"Oh yeah, he's running around, yelling at the brahmin." She chuckled. "He looks just like you." 

"Poor kid!" Daisy called from over the counter. 

"Pipe down!" He retorted with a laugh. 

Frankie chuckled too. "We're going back next Friday. You coming?"

"I wish." He sighed. "...But my friend helped me get the cure so I gotta stick around and help her out for a while longer." 

"Well, I'll give Duncan my best."

"Thanks, you're a doll." 

They said farewell and he went back to maintaining his gun, listening to Travis on the nearby radio bumble about the Institute and Piper. It wasn't until the sun began to set that Kate finally turned up, face pale and concerned. 

"There you are." He stood up with a stretch. "I was just about to go looking for you." 

"Alcohol. Now." She barked. 

* * * 

MacCready watched as she took down her fourth shot, no longer grimacing at the bitter taste. 

"Glowing sea, huh? That's not gonna be easy..." He remarked. 

"But it's possible, right? To get through the radiation?" 

"Sure, if we don't die from all the other crap that lives out there." He sipped his beer. "I heard some guy and his buddy went out there and got ripped to shreds by 'scorps. Died instantly from the poison." 

Kate faced him with a skeptical glare. "If they both died out there then how do you know they got ripped to shreds?" 

"I dunno...it's just what I heard." 

"Pfft. Sounds fake." She snorted. "Doesn't matter anyways...it's our only lead. We're too close to give up now." 

"Yeah. I know." He thought back on the past year. "We're gonna find him eventually, boss." 

"Sooner rather than later." She threw a few caps on the counter before standing up and swaying slightly. "C'mon...let's meet up with Deacon and see what he can do for us." 

"Ugh. That guy? He's the worst." 

Kate smirked. "I think he has a crush on you." 

Mac blushed under his hat, pulling it further down on his eyes to hide it. "Yeah, well...I'm not interested." 

"Oh, please...you're as big of a liar as he is." 

Outside, MacCready resorted to carrying Kate on his back like he used to with Duncan, walking fast to get to the church before the sun disappeared. 

"Do you think that's his real name?" She asked. 

"Who?" 

"Deacon. I mean, nobody actually names their kid that, right?" 

"You're drunk." 

"I'm tipsy...there's a difference." 

"Whatever." He stared down at the ground while following the Freedom Trail, trying to remember how to get there without stopping at every letter. They were passing by the old bookstore when everything suddenly dimmed. "Is...is it getting darker?" He asked aloud. 

"Holy shit!" Kate jumped off him and pointed toward the sky. "What is that?!"

MacCready got on his knees, yanking at her arm in the process. "Get down!"

It was some sort of blimp, only ten times the normal size. Vertibirds few around it like a halo, some even flying off in every direction possible. 

"What the hell is that thing?" 

A loud ring of static forced them to cover their ears, wincing at the high pitch. A voice was heard over some sort of speaker, so loud that it vibrated in their skulls. 

"People of the Commonwealth, do not fear!" It spoke. "Our intentions are peaceful." 

Kate and MacCready shared a concerned look. 

"We are the Brotherhood of Steel."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sidenote: in this story, Duncan is slightly older than canon. MacCready would've had to have him around 14 or 15 for him to speak the way he does in the flashback so keep that in mind. He isn't a genius toddler who can speak in full sentences.


	6. Chapter 6

Running away to the Glowing Sea had proved to be the perfect distraction. It gave Kate a chance to distract herself while also allowing her to focus on the mission that Virgil had sent them on. 

Getting the courser chip, for instance, was easy enough. 

MacCready was an amazing sniper. Three shots to the chest put the synth down without much of a fight. Tinker Tom nearly peed himself when he saw what they uncovered...he decoded it in a matter of moments before studying it under a microscope days after. Deacon even said that he didn't leave his microscope to bathe, which was impressive considering what a paranoid germophobe he was. 

Honestly, it wasn't until her 2nd trip to the Glowing Sea that she began to panic once more about the Brotherhood.

"Would you relax, already?" MacCready complained. "Nobody is going to recognize you."

Kate gawked at him mid-rant and tried not to argue how stupid that was. "I have a very memorable face." She insisted.

"Right now you have a very punchable face." He teased. "So, quit your whining. It's been two years since they saw you last, the might not even think you're alive." 

"It's been twenty-one months." She corrected him. "And Arthur wouldn't forget about me. I know that much." She paused as they walked further into the irradiated desert, muttering to herself about the Citadel and being trapped against her will. "I just don't understand what they're doing here...I thought I'd never have to see those stupid uniforms ever again. What business do they even have in the Commonwealth? This is my territory, I was here first." 

MacCready glanced in her direction as they traveled, holding tight to his rifle as they neared the Children of Atom. "You never talk about them...not like this, anyway." 

"I don't like remembering. It makes me think about the vault...about being taken. I'd rather leave that all behind." 

"Yeah, I can understand that." He nodded. "It's why I avoid subway tunnels, ever since Lucy they just bring me to a dark place. Still, I can't avoid them." 

"Well, I _can_ avoid the Brotherhood. At least I thought I could...now, it seems I'm stuck hiding for the rest of my life." 

"Was it really that bad?" He asked. "I mean, you had a bed and clean clothes to put on every day. That's more than most people have out here." 

She stopped walking to glare at him. "They stole me, MacCready. Months of my life were wasted, months that could've been spent looking for Shaun." 

"I'm not justifying their actions, believe me, I hate the Brotherhood just as much as the next guy but it seems like you had it relatively easy compared to other slaves." 

"A prison is still a prison, even if you have diamond handcuffs." She scoffed lightly before moving again. "I wasn't abused but I was still treated like a caged animal." 

"Look, I'm sorry, ok?" He followed. "I shouldn't have asked...I guess I've just always wondered. You only talk about life before you woke up; not after." 

He was right. Since the moment they met, she rarely spoke about the Brotherhood. The most she would ever say was that she was married to Arthur. Nothing about their plans to impregnate her, how she was restricted to one room 90% of the time, or how much she began to care for her new husband before forcing herself to leave. 

Kate took a deep breath, looking at MacCready with compassion. "Sorry. It isn't your fault for being curious. How about you ask me a few questions, maybe that'll help you understand more." 

"You sure? I don't want you to think you owe me anything." 

"I am." She promised. "And I do...you're my best friend. You deserve answers." 

"Alright then, tell me how you escaped. I mean before you ran into me and Duncan, how'd you get out without being noticed?" 

The question brought back flashes of blood and tears to her mind. She could still remember how hard she sobbed after what happened.

"I, uh, killed somebody." She shivered at the memory. "Some recruit who had access to a back gate. He was new and very trustworthy...I hit him over the head with a brick. Felt his skull crack underneath the weight." 

MacCready nodded in understanding. "First person I ever killed was a raider. She was coming at me with a knife and all I had to defend myself was a baseball bat...I was only ten." 

"That's horrible." Kate replied sadly. 

"It's what you do to survive." He shrugged. "Do you remember his name?" 

"Hank Reynolds. I...kept his dog tags. They're in a silver box under my bed at Homeplate." 

He could tell that she was getting sad, her eyes practically glazed with the ghost of the recruit. "How long were you married?" He asked to distract her.

"Three months...that's when I escaped." 

"Jesus, that's nothing." He chuckled. "It took me longer than that to call you by your name." 

"That's because you're a jerk." Kate snorted. "Arthur was different though...he was sweet." 

"He was a teenager." 

"Is that supposed to make a difference?"

"No...but let's be honest here, he was probably just trying to get into your pants." 

She shook her head. "He wasn't like that." 

The ghost of the recruit was replaced by a twinkle. MacCready wouldn't have noticed except for the fact that she was also smiling to herself...almost like she was smitten. "You know, for someone who hates the Brotherhood so much, you seem to really like their leader." 

"He's a good person. And he cared about me, more than my own family did."

"You talk about him like it hasn't been two years. For all you know he could be the complete opposite of who he was back then." 

"I like to think I'm a pretty good judge of character." She shrugged. "I made friends with you after all." 

"True." He nodded. "But people change, Katie. Especially in two years."

She shook her head again, unconvinced that Arthur could ever change. In her mind, he would always be the sweet kid who made her time with the Brotherhood more tolerable...not that it mattered anyway. As much as she carried a special place for him, she was still intent on never seeing him again. Not while he was leading the Brotherhood.

"C'mon...Virgil's cave is this way, remember?"

* * * 

"Wait..." Kate paused. "-you're saying we need to build a teleporter? From scratch?"

The mutant towered over her with his schematics, handing them to her carefully as their fingers touched. It still amazed her how these creatures could exist, that the government did this to them before the war. Even if Brian did it to himself, it still shocked her that one could live in such a giant body. "I told you this wasn't going to be easy. You'll need the right materials...scrap metal, military-grade circuitry, perhaps even old engines from vehicles."

"Jesus." MacCready huffed. "We aren't engineers."

"Believe me, I'm aware." Virgil glared at him. "I've simplified the plans as much as possible but you'll still need help."

Kate looked at the plans with a sigh, trying to understand the thick crayon scribbles. "The Railroad can't handle this...it's too complex."

"What about the Atom Cats? Aren't they good with machines?"

"Maybe." She hummed thoughtfully before glancing back at the scientist. "What do you suggest, Brian? Could regular settlers build this?"

"Anything is possible. Whoever you choose, though, has to have enough manpower to defend themselves. If the Institute discovers that something like this is being built there's no telling what they might do."

"So, Atom Cats are out." MacCready scoffed. "What about the Minutemen? Didn't they just move into that old castle thing? I heard on the radio that they have artillery now."

"Yeah, but Preston doesn't really like me. Or you, for that matter."

"Hey, it isn't my fault that old lady died! I just wanted to know my future, I didn't think the jet would stop her heart."

"You gave her three times the dose! Not even Hancock could take that much." 

"I wanted to know if Duncan would survive his illness, she said she could handle it." 

"And you believed her? The woman was 800 years old!" 

"You're 200!"

"Enough!" Virgil grunted over their bickering. "Frankly, it doesn't matter who you choose. As long as they have the time, resources, and manpower to build it, the rest doesn't matter."

Mac rolled his eyes at the mutant. "Sure, but who has the time to build something like this? It'll take at least a month. Not to mention how many caps we'll need to buy up all the steel in town."

"What about the Gunners?"

"They'll just kill you and take the plans for themselves." He scoffed. "Besides, I promised myself I would never work with them again." 

"So, we need someone who is wealthy, has a lot of spare time and has enough trust in us not to steal our schematics." Kate thought. "The Cabots?"

"They aren't very tech-savvy." 

"Nobody is...the only people who actually know how to handle technology are-" she stopped herself.

MacCready knew where she was heading and looked at her as if she were insane. "No. Absolutely not! They aren't even an option."

"They're our only option." 

"Who?" Brian asked. 

She folded the plans and stuck them into her bag, intent on leaving the cave as soon as possible. MacCready pulled at her arm in a desperate attempt to stop her, pleading for her not to do something stupid. 

"-we can beg Preston for forgiveness or raise the funds ourselves!" 

"Do you know how long that'll take? We don't have time! I haven't seen my son in at least two years, we have to find him!" 

"Katie, there are other ways...we don't have to go to them for help. W-what about Deacon? He's gotta know someone who can help, right?" 

"I'm not fighting with you on this. They are the only ones who could help us...what if it was Duncan? Wouldn't you risk everything to get him back?" 

"Who are you talking about?" Virgil asked louder. 

Kate looked back at him and sighed, making her final decision. "We need the Brotherhood."


	7. Chapter 7

MacCready protested under his breath as he followed Kate into the old chapel, creeped out by the amount of rotting ghouls that littered the foyer. He had protested immensely against going to see Deacon, mostly because he couldn't tolerate any more of his _friendly_ advances, but also because he didn't approve of Kate's idea to infiltrate the Brotherhood right under their noses. 

Her plan was simply to go undercover and talk to the very person who had her locked up and somehow convince him to help build the teleporter they need under the guise that she would be doing it from them. The whole idea was stupid, risky, and very dangerous...but more than that, it forced him into playing along so that he could make that sure she stayed safe. The last thing he wanted was for her to turn up missing and back in the hands of the Brotherhood. 

As they walked into the meeting hall of the church, he noticed Deacon lounging in one of the old pews, feet propped up on a dead raider while humming along to the radio. Jackass...stupid, handsome, jackass. He always liked to look so calm and collected, even when nobody was around. It bugged the heck out of him.

"Well, well, well...if it isn't my favorite twosome." The spy smiled lazily, and damn it all, MacCready wanted to smack that look off his face. 

Kate greeted him with playful snark. "Please never call us that again." 

"No?" He perked up. "How about my little couplet or my secret playmates?" 

"How about we call you dead?" MacCready glared into his sunglasses. 

"Fiesty. I like it."

Kate rolled her eyes and sat on the pew beside him. "Did you get my message?" 

The moment they were back from the hell that was the Glowing Sea, Kate sent a letter out with one of the Minutemen couriers. She had paid him extra to get him to leave it at Bunker Hill, hoping that Deacon would get it instead of another Railroad agent. Ideally, she would've just waited until she ran into the spy around Goodneighbor but with the Brotherhood looming over the eastern part of the Commonwealth, she needed his help pronto. Otherwise, she would run the risk of being spotted.

"I'm here, aren't I...? Look, I'm super backed up with packages and other bullshit so just tell Uncle Deacon what you need and I'll do my best to help. Dez isn't too happy about me spending time with you outside of official business so we gotta make this quick." 

"Alright," she nodded and stood up to brace herself "-I need a disguise. A good one." 

Deacon's face lit up like a Christmas tree as if he had been waiting his whole life to give her a makeover. "You want a disguise? From moi? I'm flattered..." 

"Oh, brother." MacCready scoffed under his breath. 

Kate elbowed him in the ribs before politely smiling back. "I hope you know how much I appreciate this. I know you're time is better spent."

"Nonsense, anything for my little vaultsicle," he turned to MacCready "...and her strapping manservant." 

"I'm nobody's manservant!" 

"Quiet." Kate whispered.

"Alright." 

"You two are adorable." Deacon did a half-smirk. "Truly, the wasteland's finest duo. Wanna tell me why you need to hide in plain sight? I mean, I could probably guess but-" 

"Not really. It's private." 

"Fine, I didn't wanna know anyway." He pretended to look uninterested. "Well, I'm not sure what you're looking for but the best disguises are subtle changes. Different outfits, lowering your voice-" 

"I need something better." Kate interjected. "Something that'll make me unrecognizable to people that already know who I am." 

"Ah...you want the mysterious stranger disguise. Alright, I have a few wigs laying around...short and black, long and blonde. Pick your poison." 

"Whichever will help me blend in." 

"Blonde it is, then! They have more fun anyway." 

Deacon motioned for them to follow him up to the roof where a green duffle bag was hidden discreetly under a pile of rubble. Inside were various outfits and costumes, most of which were clearly meant for men. After a moment he pulled out a curly blonde wig and brushed it out with his fingers before handing it to her carefully. 

"Here, try this."

"Hold up." MacCready stared at the fake hair before switching his gaze to the spy. "Why do you have this?... Do you go around pretending to be women?" 

"Only sometimes." 

"Yeah?" He snorted. "You wear dresses too? What idiot would fall for that?" 

"Hey, don't mock my style! I'm a very convincing lady. Remember that girl in Goodneighbor you flirted with a few months ago?"

"...yeah, why?" 

Deacon broke into a cheeky smile. "You're a great kisser." 

"Jesus Christ!" MacCready shouted. "I outta throw you off the roof!"

"What? You didn't like it? Don't worry, big guy, I don't kiss and tell. Those lips are safe with me." 

"You're lucky I don't shove my fist up your ass, you sicko!"

"I would actually _love_ that." 

"Hey!" Kate called for their attention. "Knock it off!" 

They both stopped bickering and turned around to see her wearing the wig. MacCready stepped forward and stared, nodding in approval. "You look pretty, boss." 

"Now, don't be rude, Robert," Deacon handed her a faded mirror "...she was pretty before." 

"Yeah, but now she's like an actual woman. I mean before-OW!" He looked at Deacon. "Did you just pinch me?" 

"I warned you." 

"Keep your hands to yourself!"

Kate ignored them and looked at herself in the mirror with a slight frown, moving the strands of hair around until they felt natural. "Something's missing...I could get past the Brotherhood like this but not Arthur. He'll know it's me." 

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Deacon put his hand up. "Arthur? As in Arthur _Maxson_ ...am I missing something here?" 

"I told you it's private." 

"Private is usually going to visit an old family member or stealing something from a friend; private isn't going into Brotherhood territory! That's our biggest public enemy."

Kate narrowed her eyes. "No, they're _your_ biggest public enemy. I wasn't allowed to join the Railroad, remember?" 

He scoffed defensively and rocked on his heels to convey aloofness. "It's nothing personal, we just don't have time to train you. Besides, we still consider you a friend. I would like to think you wouldn't risk throwing away that relationship by getting into bed with the Brotherhood." 

MacCready chuckled smugly. "Oh, please! The Railroad doesn't care about what we do outside the church, you just can't stand the fact that we know something you don't." 

"Yeah, no shit." He shot a look his way. "When my whole organization is hanging by a thread then yes, I tend to get a little unnerved. Especially when someone I care about is involved." 

Kate wondered for a moment which of them he was talking about. "Deacon," she touched his shoulder "-I would never put the Railroad in harm's way...this is just something personal. It has nothing to do with you." 

"I'd still like to know." 

"And I'll tell you...after we get what we need. Then we can gossip all about it over coffee, alright? I promise." 

He exhaled slowly but nodded after a moment. "Alright, Kate...I'm trusting you, which is something I don't do. Ever. So, don't screw it up." 

"I would never...now, tell me how else I can hide in plain sight, you are the master." She smiled. 

"Flattery will get you everywhere." He chuckled lightly before slipping back into his careless demeanor. "...maybe you could get a face tattoo. It's all the rage with the local raiders." 

"No, I hate needles." She shivered. "I can't even apply stimpaks by myself." 

"How about a facial scar? Carrington could give you one, mostly infection free." 

"You're seriously considering disfiguring her?" MacCready stared at him.

"Alright, alright, I'll give you that one." He thought deeply for a moment before looking back into his duffle while idly mumbling to himself. After a solid two minutes, he pulled something out and clutched it to his chest. "Here, these might do the trick. Just be careful...these are from my personal stash." 

His hand unfolded to reveal a darkened pair of sunglasses, shiny and new like a penny. Kate stared at them for a moment before sliding them onto her face, smoothing her hair down around it. 

"How do I look?" She asked. 

"Heh...pretty good, boss." MacCready smiled and handed her the mirror. "You look badass." 

Deacon grinned in agreement. "It's perfect. The Brotherhood won't know what hit 'em." 

* * * 

It took four days to track down someone with the authority to get them onto the airship. Deacon let them know that some paladin in Cambridge had been stranded and sent out a radio signal for help. The mission itself was easy enough, she basically escorted him to some old tech building and helped him find a device to fix their radio tower. 

When it was all over he invited her to join their ranks, said they needed more people with skills like hers. 

And when she told him that she knew how to get them into the Institute? He nearly swept her off of her feet with glee.

"Here, change into this. It's our standard uniform." The man, Danse, handed her an orange jumpsuit. "You can't go up to the Prydwen until you're outfitted correctly. When you're ready, meet me on the roof...there's a vertibird on standby." 

Kate's hands bunched themselves into the fabric, remembering how much it felt like her old vault suit. As she moved it around more, she noticed an insignia embroidered on the left shoulder, just like Arthur's tattoo. A chill went through her spine at the image, and suddenly she realized how insane she was for willingly returning to the Brotherhood. 

"Initiate?" Danse raised a brow. "Are you listening?"

"Sorry...?" She looked up.

"There's a room down the hall where you can change." 

"Right...I'll be back." 

As soon as he heard the door to her dressing room shut, MacCready moved to stare daggers at the paladin. "Why can't I go up with you?"

"Brotherhood only."

"Yeah, but she's my boss...and my friend. What am I supposed to do down here anyway, twiddle my thumbs?"

"I'm sure you'll figure something out." He chuckled mockingly. "Just keep your gun in your pants and you'll live." 

With that he walked upstairs, leaving MacCready murmuring school-yard taunts under his breath until Kate returned. 

He never liked this idea, it was like playing with a hornet's nest. No matter how calm it seemed or how much time had passed, it could still erupt at a moments notice. The smartest thing to do was stay as far away as possible and do everything possible to not provoke it. 

That wasn't Kate though...she was the type of person who needed to poke it with a stick. Apparently, getting stung once wasn't enough of a lesson. 

"Well...what do you think?" She walked up and did a little spin. "Does it match my hair?" 

MacCready nodded thoughtfully while staring at the faded orange and black. "It's horrible."

"Gee, thanks." She scoffed. "I'm only about to see my estranged husband."

"I'm kidding, you look fine...like a regular soldier."

She smiled slightly as she sat beside him. "Wanna know something? I've never liked orange. My grandmother used to say that little girls who wore anything but white would have an unhappy life."

"Jeez...that's pretty extreme." 

"I guess. Maybe she thought if I was the type of girl who was clean and submissive then I wouldn't have any trouble from other people. It makes sense...the happy, dumb girls are always safe." 

MacCready frowned at how her eyes seemed to dull. It was like the flame that kept her hope alive was slowly fading away. 

"White is boring." He remarked. "You are a warrior, Katie. And warriors wear whatever the hell they want."

"Isn't that a line from Grognak issue 19?"

"Maybe. But it still applies here." He chuckled. "So...you gonna be okay up there?"

"I don't know." She sighed. "What if he recognizes me?"

"Then I'll kill Deacon." 

When she didn't smile he pulled her into a tight embrace, whispering into her blonde-colored wig that everything would be alright. Kate closed her eyes to soak up his voice, letting it soothe her anxiety. MacCready was never one for affection, especially since his wife passed. Moments like these reminded her of how much he'd changed since they first met on the bridge to Rivet City. 

Danse walked back downstairs and caught them in their embrace. Looking away for a moment to clear his throat. "Initiate? We're ready to take off."

Kate nodded and broke away from MacCready's arms, giving him one last look of uncertainty before standing up.

"Good luck," he waved "...I'll be here."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, the next chapter is gonna be HUGE so I'm asking for input...
> 
> Would you like one long chapter that's around 3500 words or two smaller chapters around 1250? 
> 
> Either way, we will still get to see Arthur as it happens right away, I just don't want to wear you guys out by posting too much at one time. 
> 
> Let me know below!!! <3


	8. Chapter 8

Flying in the vertibird reminded Kate of when she was first woken up from Vault 111. All that fear and confusion came flooding back to her the moment they took off, sending her into a downward spiral. 

She could still see the figures that forced her down during the flight, feeling the pressure of their shoes pressing into her chest...the way she couldn't breathe. 

Revisiting the memory had her feeling stomach churning. She felt covered in sweat yet she was shivering from the cold air around her. 

Nate used to tell her about men who would return from war with PTSD, how they would have episodes of feeling like the room was spinning and that they were stuck back where they feared most for what seemed like forever. She always thought it was better than being dead, that somehow their trauma was a reminder that they survived and that the worst was over. 

Oh, how foolish she was to ever think such a thing...

"Are you alright?" Danse asked from beside her. "You're looking very pale." 

She swallowed sharply, trying to hold in her fear and what was sure to be a little bile. "...I hate planes." 

"I understand, the first time is always a little overwhelming. You'll get used to it, though, trust me." 

She nodded but still clutched her stomach nervously. "Would you think less of me if I threw up over the side?" 

"Yes. I would." 

"Alright, I'll hold it."

As they neared the Prydwen, Kate found herself distracted by just how large the airship actually was. From the ground, it simply looked like a blimp; something the size of an old airplane. Up close, however, it was massive, about five times the size of what she originally thought. It was clear now why Deacon was so afraid of the Brotherhood...if they were capable of flying this thing around with no issue then they could do even worse. 

Danse pulled her from her thoughts with a faint chuckle. "Amazing, isn't it? 62 tons of pure mechanics and engineering. I haven't stepped foot on her in almost a year." 

Kate stared in awe for a few moments. "It's certainly...big."

"As soon as we board you're going to want to speak with Elder Maxson. I've already sent reports of your knowledge of the Institute and he's very interested in hearing your plan to infiltrate them." 

Hearing his name from someone other than herself made everything seem so real, it reminded her that he was a real person...a person that she abandoned. 

"Tell me about him." She looked at Danse. "Just so I know what to expect when we meet." 

"Elder Maxson is a great soldier and an even better leader. From the moment he was elected Elder he has led us in the direction of greatness. When we defeat the Institute, it'll be his crowning achievement. Nobody will ever question his leadership again." 

"Why would anyone question his leadership?" 

"His age would suggest that he is naive but that is far from the truth. Elder Maxson is wise beyond his years, if you're going to take anything from this chat...take that. He is not one to be underestimated." 

Kate felt her heart pound harder with every word he spoke. 

She was really going to see him...after all this time. What if he was different? What if the sweet, caring husband she knew him as was gone? 

Even as the vertibird jolted forward upon landing, she still couldn't shake the thoughts. Arthur was inside, meters from where she stood. 

MacCready was right, this whole fucking plan was insane!

"He's inside." Danse pointed to a door down the railing. "I'll be in momentarily." 

"You're not coming?" 

"I have orders to report to our Knight-Captain. Don't worry, I'll join you afterward in the mess hall, then you can tell me all about how your meeting went." 

"But...-" 

"I don't have time to argue, Initiate. Now, hurry inside...it's not smart to keep the Elder waiting." 

Kate frowned but moved forward along the rail, listening as her boots clinked against the steel walkway. As she neared the door, a soldier in power armor opened it for her, nodding politely as she walked inside. When it closed behind her, she felt trapped like an animal in the zoo. 

The ship itself was darker than she imagined, crates of supplies and various cargo littered the walls, leaving only one path to a large room with windows. 

She hung back near a staircase, watching as several people crowded around the front of the room, murmuring softly until finally going silent. From her view it was impossible to see what everyone was waiting for, the only thing she could make out was the top of someone's head pacing back and forth in front of the large group. 

"Brothers and Sisters, the road behind us has been long and fraught with difficulty..." 

Kate felt her face flush white. 

_Arthur..._

His voice was deeper and full of power, not like the boy she married. He sounded rugged and grown, like he was a completely different person. The crowd in front looked entranced, they hung off of every word he said as if he were some type of prophet. 

"Beneath the Commonwealth, there is a cancer known as The Institute, a malignant growth that needs to be cut before it infects the surface."

Nothing he said sounded like him...everything he spoke about was so aggressive, so very much like the Brotherhood that everyone had come to know and hate. Had he really changed so much in two years?... Was it her fault for leaving him to be molded by the minds of his peers?

"Therefore, the Institute and their synths are considered enemies of the Brotherhood of Steel, and should be dealt with swiftly and mercilessly." He ordered. "This campaign will be costly and many lives will be lost. But in the end, we will be saving humankind from its worst enemy...itself."

Everyone clapped...were they insane? Did they really think that low of synths? That they would deny them their existence? She suddenly felt worried for Nick and Magnolia, for everyone she had helped Deacon escape the Commonwealth. They didn't even know their lives were being threatened...

How could Arthur issue such a horrible command? 

The crowd eventually cleared out and she spotted him staring out of the large windows with hands clasped at the base of his spine. 

His hair was groomed differently, the sides had been shaved down leaving a longer piece on top that was pushed back out of his face. On his shoulders hung a heavy coat, brown and stopping past his knees.

She approached slowly, noticing that he stood several inches taller than her. It made her reflect on their first kiss and how she had to lean down to make contact with his mouth. 

Things had certainly changed since then...

She stopped a few steps behind him and held onto her breath, not daring to speak until he made the first move. 

Would he be arrogant and pretentious like the rest of them? So wrapped up in being the best that nobody else mattered but their own? Judging by his speech, that's what she was expecting.

"I care about them, you know...the people of the Commonwealth." 

_...there he was..._

Under that authoritarian voice was the Arthur that Kate knew; the one who was kind and soft-spoken. The one who she found herself falling in love with two years ago...

He turned around and she thanked every god in the sky that her sunglasses hid how wide her eyes became. 

His eyes were still so blue and so deep, it was incredible that she didn't get lost in them. The scar on his face was partially hidden beneath a beard, and he had a new scar that laid over his left brow. It was astonishing how he could look so different yet somehow exactly the same after so long. 

"You must be our newest initiate. It's a pleasure to meet you." 

His hand extended and she stared at it blankly for a moment before shaking it, ignoring how her heart pounded when their skin made contact. 

He was warm, just how he used to be. 

"I'm afraid I didn't catch your name, Danse's report wasn't very specific." 

"Oh. It's...uh, Lucy." She stammered, hoping that MacCready wouldn't mind that she borrowed his wife's name. 

He didn't seem to think twice about her voice, maybe it had been long enough that he had forgotten...maybe it just didn't matter to him anymore.

"You seem to have made quite the impression on my paladin...he said that you've somehow acquired the means to get into the Institute. Is that correct?" 

She nodded. 

"May I ask how you've come to get such information?" 

"I managed to track a former Institute scientist to the Glowing Sea. He told me of how I can get inside and even drew me some plans." 

Arthur smiled slightly, his lips crooked and tempting. "That's very impressive. You must be quite resourceful." 

"I'd like to think so." 

"So, tell me why you have such an interest in the Institute. Do you share our common goal of ridding the Commonwealth of their abominations?" 

Kate was scared to answer...she didn't want to reveal too much on accident. Arthur was always smart, he could put two and two together if she let slip that she was looking for her son. "I'd prefer to keep that to myself for now." 

"I understand, you don't have to say anymore." He spoke respectfully. "I'd like for you to meet me in my quarters at 0800 so we can discuss this matter further." 

Kate couldn't hide the quiver in her throat. "Um, quarters?" 

"Yes, upstairs at the end of the hall. It's where I hold most of my meetings." 

"But...can't we just talk now? Here?" She looked around the large room. 

"I'd prefer to do it in a secure area, far from anyone else's ears." He spoke firmly. "For now I'd like you to find Paladin Danse...have him give you a tour of the Prydwen. Afterward, we can talk more about your knowledge of the Institute. Sound fair?" 

Kate felt there was only one answer he would accept...

"Yes, sir."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope this reads okay because it was written while watching sesame street and stopping my daughter from eating shoes XD


	9. Chapter 9

After meeting most of the staff on board the ship, a scribe was nice enough to escort Kate to Arthur's room. Thankfully, it was empty when she arrived, giving her enough time to prepare herself to be alone with him. 

The first thing she noticed was that there were a considerable amount of empty bottles laying around. Whiskey, vodka, bourbon...it gave her the impression that he wasn't new to drinking. 

She continued to pace around the room, nervously rehearsing everything she needed to say when she stopped to see a hidden shelf against the far wall. 

Books. 

It was the only thing in the room that remained of her Arthur, the one who never drank or hated synths. She walked closer and picked one up, flipping through the pages only to notice that it was written in Italian. She had to bite her lip to keep in the smile that was begging to come out...remembering all of those late nights where Arthur would whisper sentences in her ear had her head spinning.

She never understood 100% of what he was saying since her family only ever spoke English. Her parents made the decision to never teach the children how to speak it...mostly out of fear. Back then, life was tough for people who weren't from America...it didn't really matter that they weren't communists, anything viewed as foreign was written off in a bad way. Kate was lucky enough to have been raised around an open-minded community and eventually, it worked in her favor when applying to law schools around the country.

Still, she felt as though she missed out on a large part of her culture. That's why when Arthur had told her that he learned her native tongue she found it incredibly romantic, even if she never wanted to admit it. 

Her fingers brushed down the faded pages of the book as she brought it to her nose. 

Older books always smelled wonderful to her; something about the aged ink and crumbling pages brought her back to studying in the library, back when life was simple.

She inhaled deep, humming contently to herself with closed eyes. 

It smelled just like him...

The door suddenly flew open and she scrambled to put the book back in place, trying to look as normal as possible when she met Arthur's ocean-esque eyes.

"Initiate." He greeted with a polite nod. "Glad to see you've found the place." 

Kate walked further away from the bookshelf, not wanting to look like she was snooping through his belongings. "I had help, actually. The Prydwen is much bigger than I anticipated, lots of rooms to get lost in." 

"Don't worry, everyone gets confused their first time aboard. That's because when I first designed it, I made sure to include-..." As he spoke he shrugged off the lavish coat that hung on his shoulders, revealing the build that hid beneath it. 

Kate swallowed loudly as she watched. 

He was huge.

Muscles covered his arms, creating hills and valleys that showed through the tightness of his uniform. His chest had grown larger as well, making him look like he could bend a rifle in half or fight a bear one on one and win. 

How could this be the same boy she married? Was there something in the water in D.C. that she didn't know about? 

"...after an old air force base exploded we were able to use the scrap metal to-..."

Kate tried to listen but when he turned to hang his coat, she nearly died. He looked like a damn model in old underwear ads, the kind that she and her sisters would giggle over in the department stores. 

God, she would give anything to see him without that silly uniform on...she had always found him attractive, but knowing that he was barely an adult kept her from ever thinking of more. Now, though? Things were different...he was a man. 

"Initiate?" 

Kate looked up from his behind. "Sorry?" 

"Would you care to have a seat?" He gestured to the table. 

She took a seat immediately, trying to cool the burn in her cheeks from being caught staring. He must've been used to it seeing as he didn't react even a little bit.

It was strange, but she found herself oddly jealous that other women might be ogling her husband behind her back...even if she was the one who left him available in the first place. 

"I wanted to apologize for being late," he sat down across from her "-I was putting my son to bed. It always takes longer than expected, he isn't a fan of the bumpiness of the ship." 

Kate found herself shocked for a moment. "You...you have a son?" 

"I do." He had a hint of a smile. "He just turned a year old not too long before we departed for the Commonwealth." 

"Wow. That's...great." 

Part of her felt heartbroken. Was it because she never got to see Shaun turn one? Or was it because knowing Arthur had moved on killed her a little bit? She couldn't quite tell anymore.

"Do you have any children?" He asked nicely. 

She froze before breaking their stare, looking down at the table solemnly. "No." 

He must've heard the sadness in her voice because he moved on fairly quickly, asking if she could show him the plans that Virgil had given her. She pulled them from her jumpsuit, sliding them across the table for him to study before going back into a silent state. 

"You say these are from a former scientist?" His eyes scanned the crayon drawing. "Hmm, doesn't seem very legible."

"He's sort of...incapacitated." She mused. "It took a lot for him to write that." 

"Looks like it'll need a lot of high-powered magnets...those are quite the rarity out here. We only have a few available but they're needed for a much bigger project." 

"I can look around in old hospitals, there might be some inside old x-ray machines or MRI's..." 

Arthur nodded thoughtfully. "Smart thinking, Initiate, Proctor Ingram will be very pleased that you thought of that solution." 

He muttered softly to himself as he continued to look over the plans, eventually agreeing to help build the contraption so long as Kate gathered information once inside the Institute. She readily agreed and left the meeting as fast as possible, now focused on getting back to MacCready to let him know that her plan had worked perfectly. She couldn't even imagine how worried he must be sitting in the police station...

As she crossed the staircase she looked up to see Danse arguing with someone; a woman who had a braided crown circling her head like a halo.

She looked much different from everyone else, instead of a uniform she wore a dress that was cut low on her chest and even though she stood my smaller than Danse, she seemed to be the one showing more aggression in their conversation.

Kate decided to walk closer, not wanting to wait another minute to get back to MacCready. "Sorry to interrupt," she looked at Danse apologetically "-I just wanted to make sure we would make our flight back to Cambridge before nightfall."

"One moment, Initiate..."

"No." The woman snapped. "We're done here."

"We are _far_ from done, Madeline. I've had it with your behavior. If you cannot conduct yourself appropriately then-"

"Then what? You'll tell on me? Go ahead, I dare you!"

Danse's jaw clenched before he shallowly exhaled. "You're dismissed, Madeline. I suggest you keep yourself out of trouble from here on out."

She scoffed as she walked away, not even bothering to acknowledge Kate.

"Who was that?"

Danse cleared his throat as he got control of his nerves. "That was Madeline, Elder Maxson's wife."

" _Wife?_ " Kate turned around to stare at the woman. "I...I didn't know he was married."

It shouldn't have been a surprise, he had no reason to wait for her to return, and given that he already had a child...

She should've seen it coming. Still...it hurt more than she wanted to admit.

"Yes, well, they don't wear rings or even sleep in the same room so I could understand how you came to such a conclusion." Danse sighed. "I'm sorry, I don't usually gossip about Elder Maxson's personal affairs, but I've become somewhat involved in them and I'm not sure what to do about it."

"Oh...maybe I can help?"

"Perhaps." He agreed. "You don't have any biases or secret motives seeing as you just got here...and I could use some honest feedback, provided you keep it between us."

"Sure, I'm great at keeping secrets."

Little did he know, her fingers were crossed behind her back...she was _so_ telling MacCready about this. 

Danse hesitated but nodded. "Very well...Madeline has a habit of chasing other men...knights, mostly. Sometimes paladins or lancers. As you can imagine, it causes a world of trouble."

Kate felt her heart sink. "Does Arthur know?"

 _"Elder Maxson."_ He warned. "And yes...he's aware. Frankly, he just doesn't care."

"So, why do you?"

"Normally I don't...but this time she is chasing one of my men. I don't tolerate disloyalty and under any other circumstance I would banish them from the Brotherhood before they could even zip up their pants."

That's a powerful image. "Then why do you want my opinion?" She asked. "It seems like you've already figured out what to do."

"The soldier that Madeline has attached herself to this time just so happens to be a good friend of mine, someone who I thought knew better than to sleep around with the Elder's wife."

"...And you don't want to punish him." She concluded.

Danse nodded shamefully. "He's a good soldier, saved my life on numerous occasions. I just can't bring myself to do it."

"Have you tried talking to him?"

"No. He thinks I'm oblivious to the situation."

"Well, can't you reassign him? Then it wouldn't be your problem anymore."

"I suppose. It would be a waste of his talents, though..."

"But he made his choice, he knew the consequences. And you said yourself that you don't tolerate disloyalty...isn't it disloyal of _you_ not to punish him?"

"You're right." He sighed. "It shouldn't matter that we're friends...he made his choice. I guess I'll just have to let Knight Rhys go..." 

"He's the guy from the station, right?"

Danse nodded. "It's going to be difficult, I've been his sponsor from day one."

"At least you'll be getting it over with...when is our flight leaving?"

"Tomorrow."

"What? Paladin Danse, I need to see my friend!"

"I apologize but the last vertibird has already docked for the night." 

"Oh, come on!" She whined. "You're saying there's no way to get to the airport until morning?" 

"Not unless you jump off the side of the ship." He patted her back before walking down the hall. "Sorry, Initiate, looks like you're stuck here for the night."

* * * 

Kate found herself wandering the halls of the Prydwen after midnight, listening to the calming whirrs of machinery around her. Everyone had already gone to sleep with the only ones lingering on the night shift around the mess hall. 

There was really nothing interesting about this ship...there were beds upstairs, a power armor bay downstairs, and the middle floors were just offices and interrogation rooms. Deacon was an idiot for being so interested in a floating pile of Brotherhood...if he could see just how boring it really was he might just die. 

She looked at the clock in one of the halls, disappointed to see that it wasn't even 2 am...she had so much to tell MacCready that part of her wanted to write it down just so she could remember it all. Arthur, Danse and the bitchiest wife of all time, how boring it was...this was good stuff. Maybe she could even give him a dramatic reading when they met up...that wasn't completely insane, was it? No...knowing her best friend, he would secretly _love_ it.

When she went searching for a pen or even a tape recorder she saw Arthur sitting alone at a lunch table in the mess hall. In his hands laid a large book, one that she used to see him read all the time before she left.

The Guns of August...he read that one a lot. 

"Elder," she decided to approach him "-what are you doing awake?"

He looked up from between the pages and she couldn't help but blush at how his eyes twinkled in the fluorescent lighting of the hall.

"Insomnia." He said casually. "I can only sleep a few hours every night if I'm lucky."

He never used to have that issue, in fact, it was the opposite...Kate would be the one lying awake listening to his steady breathing and light snores.

"When did it start?" She asked, partially afraid that she may be the reason.

"A couple years ago." He confirmed. "I've gotten used to it...reading books helps to pass the time."

She sat on the other side of the table, fumbling her fingers together before speaking again. It felt so strange to not be able to talk with him about their life together, to not let him know that she was doing fine without him or that she missed him almost every day. Instead, she had to pretend to be a stranger, which...given the situation, she was. Arthur didn't know who she was and she certainly didn't know him anymore...

"I met your wife earlier. She seems nice."

Arthur's brow tensed slightly. "Yes, most people would think so..."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to pry. I just thought-"

"It's alright, Initiate. It's not really a secret that Madeline and I don't get along."

There was a beat of silence and Kate felt the need to ask... "So, why did you marry her then?"

"I didn't have much of a choice."

Kate frowned.

When she left, all of her energy was focused on finding Shaun. Not once did she stop to think how it might impact Arthur's life...the last thing she wanted was for him to be forced into another arranged marriage. 

"I know what you're thinking." He interrupted her thoughts. "I should just divorce her and move on...well, it isn't that simple."

"Of course." She voiced. "You share a child together."

He actually chuckled at that. "Madeline doesn't care much for our son...he's more of a pet to her. Something to play with for a few minutes before growing bored." He set his book down for good and stared at the floor in silence for several seconds. "Are you married, initiate?" He asked, eyes flickering up.

She stared at him blankly for a moment, feeling the same flush in her cheeks that she felt the last time they kissed. "Yes, I am."

"Then you know how exhausting it can be...sometimes it's best to just roll over to avoid a fight."

"That's kind of funny coming from someone who fights every day." 

"Usually, the wars I fight are for a reason. With Madeline, there's really nothing to fight for...I'm sure you've already heard everything that happens in our relationship." 

"Oh, no...I didn't-"

He smiled shyly. "It's alright, I know what people say and I know what she does when I'm not looking." 

"I'm sorry..." she whispered "-I can't imagine how hard it must be." 

"Actually, it isn't hard at all." He drawled. "We never wanted to be married in the first place..." He stayed silent for another moment before politely excusing himself, standing to pick up the book that was left on the table. "Thank you for taking the time to speak with me, Initiate...it's nice to talk with someone who doesn't pretend like they don't know what's happening in my love life." 

Kate smiled and watched him begin to leave before hearing herself ask, "So, what's the reason?" 

"Hmm?" He turned around. 

"You said it wasn't simple to just leave. And if it isn't because of your son...what's the reason?"

He smiled softly before looking away again. "L'anima di una donna che amo vive."

Kate felt her cheeks heat. "I-I don't know what that means."

"Nobody does." He shrugged lightly. "You should try and sleep. We begin construction of your teleporter tomorrow." 

"Goodnight, Elder."

"Goodnight, Initiate."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> L'anima di una donna che amo vive=the soul of a woman I love lives on


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We've reached 1000 hits, yay!!! <3 I'm so glad this story is being well received because I was so excited for the concept when I first thought of it, I literally looked through a bunch of Arthur fics making sure it wasn't already done...ok, ok, enough mushy stuff! Let's get back to Kate and Arthur...

"Wow, this place is a dump." MacCready chuckled.

Kate walked beside him through the ruins of the Boston airport, looking at all the wrecked planes and Brotherhood soldiers searching for scrap.

"You're lucky they even let you here." She commented. "These guys are more overbearing than I remember."

They moved to the center of the runway to see the start of the teleporter being assembled. So far it was a skeleton, high up in the air like a claw waiting to attack.

Kate circled it a few times, trying to picture herself being zapped in the center. "Do you think it'll hurt?" She asked.

"What, you mean getting teleported into the Institute? Nah...I'm sure it'll feel like a hug." MacCready said sarcastically.

Kate glared at him as Proctor Ingram walked up from behind her. "Initiate, nice of you to join us. You ready to get to work?"

"Always." She smiled. 

"My kinda girl. There's some metal that needs to be welded together before we can place the cover over top. For now, take these screws and place them around the base. Make sure not to tighten them too much, we don't want the plastic frame to snap."

"That's it?" MacCready snapped. "You get to weld scrap and we just do the grunt work?" 

"The Brotherhood doesn't need any help from outsiders. You should be grateful to even be here, civilian." She turned her gaze to Kate. "And you should consider making better friends, initiate, perhaps some that wouldn't get you into trouble." She walked away before Kate could say a clever retort.

"Alright...maybe they've gotten more overbearing." MacCready nodded while walking with screws in his open palm. "But do you really think these little parts are necessary?" 

"I don't care so long as they keep me from bursting into flames." She kicked the toolbox at their feet. "Now get screwing, I don't wanna be in the sun all day. This wig is way too hot..."

"What? No way. I came here to watch, not to do manual labor."

Kate frowned and pouted out her lower lip. "Please? You're better at it than me."

"I'm better at screwing?" He snorted. "Fine. I'll do it...only if you say it back to me."

"Why do you always have to make things dirty?" She rolled her eyes.

"Just say it." 

"You are better at screwing than me, MacCready. There...happy?"

He took the screwdriver and bent down with a childish smile. "You know, the only way we'd ever know is if we slept with the same person."

"In what world would that ever happen?"

He shrugged. "It wouldn't be too hard. We would just have to find someone willing to sleep with two complete strangers that don't carry any weird diseases." 

"This conversation has taken a disgusting turn."

MacCready nodded thoughtfully. "I nominate Piper."

"Fine. Then I nominate Deacon."

He gawked up at her and continued screwing, choosing not to continue down that road.

Kate smiled triumphantly and leaned back on the machine, trying to mentally picture what she'd do once inside of the Institute. Probably sneak into the office of whoever was in charge...

From behind she could hear Proctor Ingram perk up. "Elder Maxson, I didn't expect to see you down here."

She panicked, looking back to see Arthur walking toward them. "Damn it! I didn't know he was going to be down here..."

MacCready craned his neck to get a better view. "That's him?... Jesus, Kate."

"Shh!" She hit him. "Act normal...if that's possible."

"Everything looks good, initiate." He approached. "I'm glad to see it's all coming along." His eyes scanned over the machinery before resting on MacCready. "And who is this?"

"My husband." Kate blurted out.

MacCready glared at her like she had just killed a baby bird; like if Arthur wasn't standing there he might tackle her to the ground.

"Pleased to meet you."

"Yeah, same." He grumbled before standing up.

At that moment, Kate noticed Danse walking around with a small boy in his arms, she could already guess who it was...it was obvious from the mop of curls that laid on his head.

"That must be your son." She gestured in the child's direction.

"Yes..." He looked back. "I thought he'd enjoy some fresh air so I brought him along for the day. I hope that's alright."

"Of course." She smiled. "What's his name?"

"Daniel."

He had that same childlike wonder that his father had when they were first married, Kate couldn't stop smiling at how familiar it looked. Would Shaun have shared that same look? Perhaps he already did and Kate had missed it. He was ten years old, after all...

"He's adorable." She said slightly sad. 

Arthur nodded thankfully before Ingram called him back over, probably to look over the plans for the millionth time. He politely excused himself, giving MacCready the opportunity to shove Kate's shoulder once he was out of earshot.

"Are you freaking kidding me? I didn't sign up to be your fake husband!" He hissed.

"Ow! I'm sorry, alright? I didn't know what to say!"

"You could've said anything! I'm your employee, your friend, your freaking pastor, I don't care!"

"I'll make this up to you, alright?" She pleaded. "I'll give you a thousand caps!"

He thought for a moment. "Two-thousand...and you throw in that issue of Grognak you keep hiding."

"Yes, I'll give you anything. Just please, play along?"

He sighed low and shook his head, knowing that he was making a dumb decision. "Fine. But if you expect me to kiss you then you are freaking insane."

"Thank you." She hugged him. "I promise this'll be over before you know it!"

"Yeah, yeah, that's what you said to me when we first met."

Across the runway, Madeline suddenly appeared, dressed in a tight robe with bright red lips that smiled at every man she passed. MacCready noticed her right away, staring just like all the other new initiates. He practically shoved Kate off of him to get a better look.

"Wow." He whistled low. "Who is _that_?"

"That's Elder Maxson's wife."

"You mean the one who sleeps around? Damn, I can see why the guys go crazy. She's definitely worth getting thrown out for."

Kate stared at him in disbelief. "You can't be serious."

"What?" He stared back at her. "I mean no offense, Katie. You're...ya know, cute but-"

"Ugh, stop talking!"

She seemed to notice MacCready as well, walking over with a sultry grin and twinkling eyes. "Hello, I'm Madeline."

Kate wanted to barf...

"Robert."

" _R_ _obert_?" Kate scoffed.

"Shh."

Madeline batted her lashes as if she were in a beauty pageant. "What's a cutie like you doing in a place like this?"

MacCready smirked. "I could ask you the same question, gorgeous." 

Kate rolled her eyes and placed a long arm across his shoulders, pulling him closer to her chest. " _Honey_ ...why don't you go ask Paladin Danse when the next flight to Cambridge is leaving."

"Nah, I'm good."

"Now, Robert." She growled.

He looked at her and grumbled before standing up to leave.

Both women watched him walk toward Danse until he disappeared around the corner. Once he was out of sight, Kate moved her glare to Arthur's new wife.

"That's my husband."

She wasn't talking about MacCready.

She turned to face her, allowing Kate to study her fully. Light brown hair cascaded down her face, framing her small nose and pale green eyes. It was clear why the Brotherhood chose her to be the mother to Arthur's children...she was petite, unthreatening in every way. And judging by how she spoke...not very smart. They probably didn't want another woman escaping captivity.

"You must be the newest woman on board," Madeline chuckled "-clearly you don't know who I am."

"Oh, trust me...I know all about you."

"Then you should know better than to speak to me. I'm not on your level."

"You're right," Kate smirked. "-you're below me."

Madeline chuckled harshly while walking closer. "Nice sunglasses. They're very...butch."

Kate could feel her eye twitch. Everything about this woman reminded her of those preppy debutants she grew up with, the same kind that would spread rumors about anyone for no reason at all.

"Is there a problem here?" Arthur walked up from behind, eyes focused on Kate.

"Of course not." Madeline answered. "We're just getting to know one another."

"Get back to the Prydwen." He spoke low. "You don't have any reason to be here."

She looked like a child about to throw a tantrum. "Why? Daniel's here."

"Daniel doesn't cause nearly as much chaos as you."

"You can't boss me around, Arthur, I can do whatever I want."

"You're right." He nodded. "But if you insist on staying here then you'll have to do something useful, maybe with a hammer or duct tape? Can't have you standing around distracting my soldiers."

They stared into each other like true opponents, Madeline not willing to let him win.

Kate smirked as she watched them go back and forth. Some part of her found it sad that Arthur was trapped in such an unhappy relationship but she would be lying if she said she didn't love watching them fight.

"Fine." Madeline huffed. "I didn't want to stay down here anyway..." She turned on her pampered heel and walked back toward the vertibirds, leaving Arthur breathing a sigh of relief.

"I apologize for her."

"It isn't your fault...you didn't want to marry her anyway, right?"

He chuckled. "I find your candidness refreshing. Most people are afraid to insult her."

"She doesn't scare me."

"I would be surprised if anything scared you, initiate."

The way they laughed together felt so natural...almost as if nothing had changed since they first were together. Arthur's smile slowly faded as he stared around the airport.

"Would you care to take a walk with me? I can show you around our logistics department."

"Of course. I haven't seen the airport since-" She froze, feeling her stomach drop.

She almost gave away her identity...just like that. Being with him was so easy that she didn't even remember to pretend like she wasn't from before the war.

"Since when?" He asked while walking.

"Uh...since I was a kid. I grew up in Diamond City." She lied.

"Ah." Arthur nodded. "Most of our newer recruits are from local settlements. I'm sure you'll meet them all in the next few weeks." 

* * * 

After walking through the halls of the airport, Arthur stopped in front of a large garage door, telling her more about why they chose such an odd location to settle into the Commonwealth. 

She barely listened, too captivated by his eyes to hear the words coming from his lips. Something about the Minutemen or Fort Strong...it was impossible to focus around him. 

"So, what's behind the door?" She asked after a moment. 

"A special project...top secret. It's something we'll need to destroy the Institute."

Kate chuckled brazenly. "Better be something good. I don't want to imagine what they have in store for us."

"I'm confident that we'll have the upper hand with this...it's been vital in helping us win wars in the past." 

She leaned back on a metal crate, staring up at him through the dark shades of her glasses. "Can I ask you something?" 

"I don't see why not." He mirrored her body language. 

"You seem awfully young to be taking on this big of a task. Is it really worth it?" 

"I believe so, yes. The Insitute is a threat to our humanity...without action, they'll soon be able to overpower us. That's why it's vital that we attack now, before it's too late." 

Kate nodded, understanding his point of view better than before. He was scared, and rightfully so...synths killed innocent people. Replaced family members and wiped out settlements for no reason. It was easy to be terrified of them, but that didn't change the fact that some of them had hearts, no matter how mechanical in nature. 

Nick, for example, was why she refused to be afraid. 

Without any knowledge of her or her past, he helped her find Kellogg. Without him, she'd be nowhere...still chasing shadows and feeling hopeless.

Synths like him were worth saving. 

Arthur cleared his throat, looking around before speaking low. "May I ask you something now?" 

"Of course." She looked up at him. 

"You said before that you didn't want to say why you're so invested in our mission. Would you be willing to tell me now that we've gotten to know each other better?" 

She nodded slowly, choosing her words carefully. "I lied about not having children...I actually have one, the Insitute stole him. I'm just trying to get him back." 

"I'm sorry." He looked down. "I know how it feels to lose somebody you love...and I know how desperate you can become trying to get them back."

His words felt so real, Kate could feel them resonate in her chest. 

And for the second time in her life, she did something incredibly stupid.

She kissed him.

Arthur inhaled sharply, freezing for a moment before pulling away from her.

"Lucy..." he dropped to a whisper "I-I'm sorry if I've given you the impression but I'm not interested in anything beyond friendship. It wouldn't be appropriate under the circumstances."

Kate closed her eyes shamefully. "Of course...I'm sorry. I just thought-"

A gunshot ripped through their ears, stopping her sentence halfway through. Arthur shielded her out of instinct, looking around before hearing more fire coming from outside the bunker.

"Stay here." He said before running out to the nearest patrol. "Knight! What's happening?"

"Gunners!" The man said. "They came out of nowhere!"

"Put the entire airport on lockdown! We need everyone to stand guard to protect Project Liberty." 

"Yes, sir!" 

Arthur grabbed a large laser rifle from one of the spare trunks and ran out toward the runway. Kate followed behind, grabbing her pistol while bullets flew past her ears.

"Initiate!" Arthur yelled. "I said to stay covered!"

"I can help!" She shouted back.

He searched around until meeting eyes with MacCready, simply choosing to shout, "Restrain her!" before firing off into the crowd of gunners approaching. 

MacCready wrapped his arms around her shoulders, forcing her to stay still. "Don't try and fight, Katie. You have to live for Shaun, remember?"

She grunted as she fought for dominance. "I can handle a few gunners!"

"No!" He shouted in her ear. "We're too close for you to die because of a few idiots with assaultrons. You have to go inside!"

"Let me go!"

"No. You'll thank me later when you find Shaun."

He forced her to throw her weapon and started pushing her toward the bunker when Arthur looked around in a panic, his chest heaving with adrenaline and utter fear. "Where's Daniel?!" He shouted out.

Danse nervously stammered. "I-I don't know, I thought he was with you!"

They all heard a scream just then, drawing their attention to the child standing in the open with tears streaming down his rosy cheeks. A gunner was running toward him, knife drawn.

Kate shoved MacCready back as she ran full speed to him, ignoring the shouts from the men behind her.

Daniel held his arms out, letting her pick him up and run back. She was so close to handing him off to Danse when a bullet pierced her calf, making her fall to the ground.

"Run!" She said to the boy. "Go hide!" 

He stumbled slowly, walking a few steps before Danse caught up and scooped him into his large arms.

Knowing he was safe allowed her to take a breath. She stood up and gasped from the sharp pain in her leg; she just needed to reach her gun...then she could put down whoever tried to hurt Daniel.

Before she could move, a hand grabbed her shoulder and whipped her around.

"Stupid bitch!" The stranger spat at her.

In their hand was a large butcher knife, already stained red from another kill. Everything suddenly moved in slow motion as the knife moved closer to her.

"Kate!" MacCready shouted from behind. 

" _Kate..._?" Arthur repeated.

 

The last thing she remembered was feeling a painful gash open her stomach.


	11. Chapter 11

Kate woke up to a white light in her face; the sheer brightness had her head throbbing. 

Where was she?

The last thing she could remember was hearing her name...she couldn't tell who had said it, only that there were fear and desperation behind the voice. 

It was so bright. Was she in heaven? No...there weren't any angels or Nate. Just soft whirrs and a steady beeping that echoed from behind her. 

Her eyes peeked open to adjust to the light, immediately she recognized where she was. 

The Prydwen. In the medical bay to be specific. Danse had given her the tour when she first arrived, though she didn't remember it being so blindingly white in the room. 

That's when she realized that the sunglasses she wore had vanished.

They had to know by now. Arthur would've recognized her right away...would they take her back into custody? Maybe punish her for running away? Every horrible scenario was rushing through her mind when a soft creek forced her eyes to focus upward. The door to the small clinic had opened and the doctor she had met earlier greeted her with a wrinkled smile.

"You're awake!" He bellowed. "Glad to see you aren't too banged up from that fight."

She winced from the volume of his voice. He certainly wasn't acting like she was a fugitive. "...fight?" Her voice sounded so foreign. 

"Gunners." He tsked. "They aren't a problem in the Capital Wasteland but here their presence is much greater than we thought. We lost five good soldiers...damn shame."

Her heart sank at the realization that Arthur could've been hurt during the battle. He was so close to the gunfire...surely, if he were hurt he'd be laying in a bed next to her.

"Where's my husband? Is he here?" She asked groggily.

"He's outside. Would you like for me to send him in?"

She nodded. All she needed was to make sure he was okay, to look him in the eyes so she could tell him the truth about who she was. He deserved that much...maybe he wouldn't be too angry.

The doctor exited the room and after a few long seconds, MacCready walked in.

"Jesus, Kate, are you alright?" He rushed to her bedside. "How are you feeling?"

She frowned slightly, closing her eyes from the harsh light. "You aren't my husband."

"No, I'm not." He sat on her bed. "But you told them I was, remember?"

"Oh...yeah. I remember." She sighed. "Was that before or after I was shishkabobbed?"

"Before. Can you move?" 

"Dunno." She looked around. "How long have I been out." 

"Almost two days...they've been dosing you with med-x to help you heal faster." 

"I hate chems." 

"Well, it's better than being dead." He scolded. "That was a really stupid thing to do, Katie. You could've gotten yourself killed. I mean you just- you scared the heck outta me!... What if you died? What would I do then?"

She clutched her side in pain as she pulled herself up. "Go back home...live a normal life. Take care of your son."

"You think Duncan would let me come back if he knew I got you killed?" He chuckled lightly. "He would probably never talk to me again."

They both smiled warmly for a moment before growing silent again.

"He knows...doesn't he?" Kate asked. "He said my name before I blacked out."

MacCready nodded. "Yeah. He knows."

Her shoulders deflated. "Has he said anything to you? To anyone?" 

"No. He's been silent so far...for whatever reason, he's keeping your secret."

"But...why? If he wanted he could just take me back."

MacCready shrugged. "Maybe because he thinks you remarried, maybe because he's remarried. I really don't know, Kate."

It didn't make sense to her...he didn't love Madeline. He claimed to love her. Why wouldn't he just take her back, even if it meant divorcing his current wife? 

She sighed. "I'm gonna have to talk to him, aren't I?" 

"Yep."

"Do you know where he is?"

"Outside. He's hasn't moved since they brought you up here."

"Great." She laid back. "What am I supposed to say?"

"You can always pretend that you have amnesia. That works in comic books."

"This isn't a comic book, MacCready, this is real life. I'm going to have to tell my post-apocalyptic husband that I escaped so I could find my lost son who just so happens to be located in the exact place he wants to blow up."

"See, when you put it like that it sounds like a comic book."

She smiled warily and held onto his hand. "Will you wait outside for me? Just in case things go bad?"

"Sure. Not like I have anywhere else to be anyway...everyone on this ship has a stick up their ass." He stood up. "I'll send him in...just yell if you want me to come back, okay? I'm all for kicking someone in the nuts if I have to."

She kissed his cheek and watched with bated breath as he left the clinic. 

 

Arthur walked in a moment later, his lip rolling between his teeth in anticipation. 

Kate could feel her insides twist...when she originally left, she intended on never seeing him again. She wished it didn't have to be that way, but she knew that every moment with him drew her to love him even more. 

Her focus had to be on Shaun, even if it meant throwing away somebody that she cared about. And she was content with that decision, so long as she never saw him again. So long as she never had to see the hurt in his eyes or hear her name on his lips. 

But he was there...standing in front of her with those eyes that tugged at the strings of her heart. 

She was content with never seeing him again because her last memory would always be of his smile. Now?

Everything had changed. 

"Kate?" He went breathless. "Is...is it really you?"

Her eyes closed. How could she even begin to explain or apologize for what she had put him through?

"Arthur...I-"

His shoulders dropped as he rushed forward, resting his hands on either side of her face while their foreheads touched. Feeling the heat of his skin against hers had her feverish, she suddenly wondered if it were just him or an infection oncoming. 

"I always wondered..." he whispered softly "-I thought you were dead."

She breathed in every part of him while allowing her hand to slide up until it tangled with his. It felt so normal to touch him again as if the past two years never happened. Like if she closed her eyes hard enough, they'd still be back in their old room. 

"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked slightly hurt. "About your son or the Institute? I would've helped you no matter what."

"I couldn't risk it...I didn't know how you'd react."

"Are you crazy? I've been waiting so long to see you again. I've missed you so much."

Their lips were dangerously close, Kate could almost feel the warmth of his breath tickle her cupid's bow. It took every ounce of control she had to not close the distance between them. 

"Arthur, stop. You're married."

"You're married too...but you still kissed me."

"And you pulled away." 

"That's because I didn't know it was you. Had I known-" he sighed "...I never would've stopped." 

Kate's chest fluttered as she gnawed her lip, how could he still make her so flustered? Even now, he knew all the right things to say. 

"That kiss was a lapse in judgment. It never should've happened." 

"But it did. And now I can't stop thinking about it." He spoke softly. "Not only that...you also saved my son. I don't know how I could ever repay you for that."

"You don't owe me anything. I was happy to help, he's a sweet kid. Kind of like you were when we first met."

He smiled warmly and looked at the floor, showing how shy he was for the first time since re-meeting. "You really scared me. I kept waiting for someone to tell me that you died from your injuries. I don't think I could handle getting you back and losing you again all in one day."

"You didn't get me back." She corrected him. "I'm not your wife anymore. I'm just a mother looking for her child."

"And I am just a man who has waited 654 days to see the woman he loves."

Her cheeks reddened as she looked away, trying to hide how affected she was by his words. "Why haven't you told them?" She asked. "About us? Surely they would want to know."

His face hardened for a moment and he looked away. "It's complicated. As much as I would love to tell every soul here that you're alive, I'm afraid that's just impossible." 

"Why? I don't understand." 

She watched as he paced around, searching for the right words to say. "When you escaped, you killed an innocent man. I understand why you did it, and I don't hold it over you but since then, the Brotherhood hasn't wanted you back as my wife; they want you back to pay for your crime."

Her heart hammered in her chest as she realized what he meant. "Wait...so the day that I escaped, the patrols sent out weren't looking to bring me home?" 

Arthur shook his head. "No. They were looking to capture you and hold you accountable for the murder you committed. That's why I never took any extraordinary measures to find you...because I knew that if you were found, you'd most likely be put to death. And as Elder, it would be my duty to carry out your punishment."

Kate swallowed, remembering how close she was to being caught outside of Rivet City. "So...what does this mean now?"

"It means that you are Lucy MacCready, as far as the Brotherhood is concerned. You're our soldier, our key into the Institute, and most importantly...you are not my wife." 

The door to the clinic opened again, and the doctor from before walked in with a folder full of papers. He looked at Arthur curiously but smiled politely. "Elder, I didn't expect to see you here."

"I hope you don't mind the intrusion. I just wanted to check on Knight MacCready's recovery."

"Knight?" Kate interjected. "I thought I was an initiate."

"Not anymore." Arthur smiled slightly. "Since your heroic act at the airport, you've been promoted to a new rank."

"Sounds fancy. Do I get a sword?" 

"It's not that kind of knight." He chuckled. "It's more of a formality than anything. However, you will be getting your own suit of power armor. Standard Brotherhood issue."

"Really?" She beamed. "I've always wanted to try one out. They're so rare nowadays...when can I see it?" 

"It's waiting for you in the bay. Proctor Ingram has assured me that's it's in top condition." 

"Hold your horses!" The doctor stopped them. "You're going to need time to heal. Stomach injuries are very serious...it'll take at least six weeks before I would even consider letting you operate a weapon, let alone power armor."

"Six weeks?" Kate asked. "What about the Institue?" 

"The teleporter was damaged during the fight." Arthur sighed. "It's going to take a while before it's ready again. Don't worry, though, I promise it'll be working by the time you're healed up." 

Kate nodded thoughtfully. "Great, so can I leave?"

"Pardon?" The doctor stared. 

"I'm not staying here for six weeks. I'd rather get better at home."

"Hmm...I suppose I don't see why not. We could certainly use the empty bed." 

Arthur frowned, looking back at Kate with slight irritation. "Her injury is too severe to risk travel. I would like for her to stay under observation here." 

"No, she's right." The doctor hummed. "The best place to heal is at home. And seeing that she's able to sit up and talk, I don't see why she can't leave. I'll pack up some spare meds for you to take." He smiled at Kate. "Just be sure to stay in bed, Knight. We don't want to risk injuring you further." 

He left the room and immediately, Kate could feel Arthur's stare. 

"Let me go with you." He simply said. 

"You think your staff would let you come to Diamond City?" She chuckled. "Please...they aren't stupid enough to risk you getting hurt." 

"I can't not see you for six weeks, Kate. It'll drive me insane." 

"I know how to handle myself out here, Arthur, I've survived a long time without you. I can make it another two months."  

"Well, I can't. Please...at least let me get you settled in. Then I'll leave. I promise."

Kate thought about it. She would love nothing more than to spend time with him. But she knew there were other issues that had to be dealt with...telling Deacon the truth, seeing Nick, not to mention that she couldn't continue being fake-married to MacCready. "No." She decided. "I can't think around you, alright? You're too...distracting."

Arthur smirked. "Am I?" 

"Stop that." She blushed. "Stop giving me that  _cute_ smile. It doesn't work on me anymore." 

"Penso che stai mentendo." 

She had to bite her lip to keep from gushing. Arthur could see in her eyes that she was slightly aroused. 

"What about your son?" She asked. "Won't he miss you?" 

"Yes, but he's safer up here. After the incident at the airport, I'm not sure I want him out in the open for a while. Besides, I trust my staff. They'll take good care of him in my absence."  

Kate sighed outwardly, knowing that MacCready was going to kill her for agreeing to this. "Fine. You can drop me off...then leave. Understand? We aren't in your territory anymore, Arthur. I make the rules out there. Do you get that?" 

He smiled. "I understand perfectly." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Penso che stai mentendo = I think you're lying to me


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all I'm day seven into kinktober and I miss this story so much! Let's get back to it, shall we?

Kate never thought a lot of things could happen. She never thought she'd have kids, she never thought she'd make it past law school...

She certainly never thought the world would end in nuclear destruction or that she would somehow survive it. But the number one thing she never expected was to be walking into Diamond City with her fake husband on one arm and her real husband on the other...

"I'm gonna head to the bar, see if Piper is around." MacCready stated. 

"Okay...be safe."

He had turned the corner before she could even finish her sentence. After a couple seconds of awkward silence, Arthur asked what about the elephant in the room...

"Does he know? About us?"

"Yeah. He's always known."

"So, he's alright with his wife spending time alone with her ex-husband?"

Her chest tightened at the thought of continuing this charade...and knowing how unhappy MacCready was with it, she decided to take a deep breath and confess what was actually going on. It was better than twisting herself in a web of lies only to be found out later on...

"Actually, that may not be as true as I claimed."

Arthur stopped walking to stare thoughtfully. "Wait, you aren't married to him?"

"No." She exhaled. "We're just friends...best friends, but, there's nothing going on between us. I just said he was my husband so that he would be allowed near the teleporter."

And because she was jealous of Madeline...a little white lie, but he didn't need to know that.

Arthur straightened up as if a weight were lifted from his shoulders. "Well, I admit...that's a bit of a relief."

"Why is that?" She smirked. "Were you jealous?"

"Of course not. I was simply concerned that he wouldn't be able to protect you."

"Like I need protecting?" She scoffed. "I'm not a soft dweller anymore, Arthur, I can handle myself. And for the record, MacCready is great with a rifle. He could shoot the head off a mole rat from fifty yards away."

"Yards?" He chuckled. "Is that a prewar measurment?"

"Yeah...it's like half a football field."

"You're dating yourself, do you know that?" He teased. "Nobody knows what football is anymore, let alone what a field looks like."

"Wastelanders aren't as stupid as you think." She pointed out. "They know about sports..."

"Really? Then tell me why that man over there is shouting about baseball mitts being used to catch bombs."

Kate turned to stare at Moe with a serious face but broke down when he started yelling at a bystander about the history of player numbers. Arthur laughed alongside her until they were almost out of breath and everyone in the market stared at them like they were insane.

"C'mon..." Kate pulled his arm, "-my place is this way."

* * *

MacCready sat himself at the bar with a cold drink, relishing in finally getting some alone time.

Ever since the Prydwen arrived in the Commonwealth, he'd been anxious to get back to the city. Not that he didn't want to find Shaun, he did, but he just couldn't handle dealing with the Brotherhood any more than nessescary.

See...before, MacCready only had half the picture. All he knew was that his best friend was a fugitive, forced into marriage by the Brotherhood. He hated them for it, wanted to get revenge for keeping her from the child she lost.

When it turns out, in reality, things were much different than she led on.

Seeing how she looked at Arthur, seeing how he reacted to Kate's injury...it struck a nerve. They were so blatently in love, it was impossible to deny. They way they smiled at eachother, the way they spoke? If he didn't know any better, he would say they were still married.

Why did she leave that part out? Why did she never mention the true nature of their relationship? It didn't make sense to him...they were close, closer than she and Arthur, yet it never occured to her to tell him the truth.

He would have understood...okay, maybe not...but he would never judge her! She was the closest thing he had right now besides Duncan, she was practically family. After all the crap he's spilled to her over the years, she never once thought to mention that she was in love with the person who stole months of her life?

One thing was for sure, there was no way in hell that he would let Arthur come between them. She's come too far and searched too long for him to come back and distract her. The plan was always to save Shaun and cure Duncan so they could raise their sons together far away from the Brotherhood and the Capital Wasteland.

"Hey, stud." Deacon appeared out of nowhere and flashed a winning grin. "Didn't think I'd see you slumming it here. Vadim," he waved "...I'll take a rum and cola and whatever this guy is having." He nodded his head toward MacCready.

"Of course!" The bartender let out a hearty laugh. "Anything for Diamond City security!"

When he walked away, MacCready shot him a look. "He thinks you're security? Is there anyone here that you _don't_ lie to?"

"Yeah. You."

"Except for when you kissed me in drag."

"Well, yeah, except for that obviously."

He scoffed went back to sipping his drink, grunting softly when Deacon took the empty seat beside him. "So, you ready to tell me about that mission with the Brotherhood?" He asked.

"That's for Kate to talk about. It's not my place."

"Yeah? So tell me why there's word of a handsome guy walking with her around the market? And I know it's not you since they say this guy is polite and well-groomed." He paused. "Seriously, what the fuck is she thinking bring the pretty boy Elder here? Is she out of her mind?"

MacCready slammed his empty drink on the bar, making other patrons flinch. "Look, nothing's going on! She's just injured and needs help. You know she almost died, right? Did none of your sleazy informents tell you that?"

"Alright, big guy, I get it." Deacon remained calm. "Let's just take a chill pill, hmm? You don't wanna start a fight with Diamond City security."

"You're an idiot." He huffed while paying Vadim. "I'm outta here."

He began to exit the bar and Deacon followed, catching up to him once they were alone near the old Science Center.

"Hang on!" He grabbed MacCready's shoulder. "I was kidding! Look, you're obviously stressed out over what happened so why don't we just go back to the bar and talk about it."

"You're the last person I wanna talk with."

"Okay. So, let's not talk." He smiled. "Let's do something else. I got a room at the Inn, you in for a night of stress relief?"

"What the heck is your problem?" He sneered. "Why do you always have to take it there?"

Deacon looked stumped for a moment, slowly his smile faded. "You really don't remember me...do you?"

"Remember you? We just met earlier this year."

"No, we didn't. We met years ago, Robert."

"What the hell are you talking about? I didn't even live in the Commonwealth until a few years ago."

"I know. You lived the Capital Wasteland with your wife. I was there too..."

"Yeah, right. I would've remembered seeing an asshole like you around. This is just another one of your lies." He tried to walk away.

"I'm not lying." Deacon cornered him. "Lucy had a friend, Barbara, remember?"

He froze, not knowing how the spy could've known about her name. Maybe Daisy told him or Katie? Either way, he wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of freaking out.

"It sounds familiar." He finally admitted.

"She was my wife...we lived in the same settlement as her when she was pregnant with your son. You stayed with us a few times when you were off duty. You told her you were a soldier, right?" He chuckled. "I figured that wasn't true...the girls really bought it, though. Every night they would say a special prayer together to make sure you were safe. It was kinda sweet, too bad they were being lied to the whole time."

MacCready listened with tense eyes, trying to remember the details of his story. There was a woman that Lucy spoke fondly of; she did have a husband...but he couldn't remember their faces. He never cared, honestly. They seemed nice so he figured Lucy was safe there. And when Duncan was born, the couple babysat once or twice so he could have alone time with Lucy. Could that really have been Deacon?

"What happened to her?" He decided to ask. "To your wife?"

"She died."

"Sorry."

Deacon shrugged.

"It's been years...and I'm where I'm at now because of her. Can't say I'm happy about her dying but it put me on a path that led me here. You know what that's like, don't you?"

"Yeah. I do." He sighed before putting on his tough exterior again. It hurt too much to remember Lucy, that's why it was easier to be a jerk. "So, our dead wives used to be friends. That doesn't mean anything now." 

"It means we knew eachother before everything turned to shit. That's worth something, isn't it?"

"No." He laughed. "I'm not the same person. And I'm not gay, alright?"

"Neither am I."

"You're joking, right? All you ever do is make passes at me!"

Deacon smirked and suddenly MacCready realized that he was trapped between him and the wall...their chests were close enough that he could feel his heartbeat thump between them.

"You must be under the impression that somebody has to be _one_ thing. You should really open that mind up, short stuff, because not everyone has to be gay or straight. Some of us float in between."

MacCready stayed silent.

"Listen, I'm not some predatory guy, alright?" He leveled. "Yeah, I flirt pretty aggressively but if I didn't think you were the least bit interested I'd lay off...so tell me now. Are you interested? Because if not, I'll never make a pass at you again. You have my word."

He froze, trying to find the right words to say. Should he be a jerk again? Maybe shove him away? He didn't want to but he wasn't interested...was he?

He'd never thought about men in that way before, surely if he did he would know it.

No. He liked women.

He liked Piper and Kate, and that lady who was married to Arthur. He didn't like _men_ ...but if that were true, his heart wouldn't be racing this fast, would it?

His question was answered when he rammed his mouth against Deacon.


	13. Chapter 13

"Well, this is it." Kate flicked on the lights. "Home sweet home."

Arthur walked inside and glanced around the dimly lit home, noticing how cold and cluttered it was. There was a couch that sat against the wall and a dining table that was covered in stray papers and random junk, the only source of light came from a single window at the end of the room and a lamp that was missing its shade.

"It's...nice," he offered "-very cozy."

"I know it's not five stars or anything but it's safe...and we're close enough to the market to buy noodles before they sell out."

He paced around the living area with clasped hands, eyes memorizing every small detail of the space. In the corner was a basket full of colors and brushes, above it sat a painting of a landscape. He could picture Kate spending her free time painting, hair swept up and stray splatters of paint dotting her face like freckles. The image had the corner of his mouth pulling up into a smile.

"How long have you lived here?" He asked.

"Almost a year, I had to save up a few thousand caps but it was worth it...can you believe they just used this place as storage for the city?"

"Yes, I can."

"You're such a snob." She pushed his arm with a smile before remembering that she was getting too close again. The last thing she needed was to fall for him even more than she already had. "Well, you came, you saw...time to go."

"Hold on." He looked around. "I don't see a mattress. Remember what Cade said? You're on bed rest for the next few weeks."

"It's upstairs." She pointed.

"Wonderful...let's get you settled in then."

She agreed and took the first step up with a soft gasp, the stitching on her stomach pulling uncomfortably.

"Here, let me help." Arthur touched her shoulder.

She winced as she grabbed her side. "I've got it, I can handle a little pain."

"Don't be stubborn, luce mia."

His nickname had her cheeks burning bright. Before she could think of a retort he bent down to pick her up, cradling her against his chest while he walked up the steps.

"You're tense." He smiled.

"Well, I don't want you to drop me..."

"I would never." He promised. 

He reached the large bed at the top of the stairs and laid her down carefully, eyes glued to her while he leaned over the mattress. In the soft lighting she looked enchanting, her hair contrasted beautifully against the white sheets while her skin flickered with the light of the lantern on the nearby dresser.

"You're beautiful." He whispered.

Her eyes scanned over his features intensely, first his beard...then his lips, until she forced herself to look away. "You need to leave. That was part of our deal, remember? You said you would just drop me off."

"I'll go if you really want me to...but you have to look me in the eyes and say it."

She tried but the moment she stared into the pale blue of his eyes she let out a breath she didn't mean to hold. How could she be so captured by them after all this time?

"I need to focus on finding my son. I can't be distracted by you."

"I would never keep you from finding him, Kate."

"But you already did once...I let myself get wrapped up in you and I promised myself I would never do that again."

"You risked your life for my son, that means no matter what happens between us, I won't rest until you have yours back too."

"You really mean that?"

"Intendo ogni parola, amore mia."

She smiled and moved her hand to run through the top of his hair before resting behind his neck. No matter how hard she tried, it was impossible to not stare at his mouth...Arthur noticed and moved close enough for their noses to touch. Their lips barely grazed one another when a thud from downstairs had him pulling away.

"What was that?"

"Probably just MacCready."

"He has keys?"

"He's my friend." She said defensively.

"Katie, where are you?" He called out.

Arthur made a disapproving noise at his nickname.

"I'm up here!"

They could hear his stomps coming up there stairs, with every step Arthur seemed to grow more and more irate.

"Oh. Hi..." He stared at Arthur before switching back to Kate. " _Wait_ , I mean, why are you in bed with my wife?"

Kate snickered under her breath. "MacCready, I told him the truth. You can stop pretending to like me."

"Oh...alright then." He walked to her side of the bed. "I just came to tell you that I'm gonna stay at the Dugout tonight. I didn't want you waiting up for me or something."

"Wait, why? There's plenty of room here and Arthur was just leaving."

"It's fine. I'm not gonna be alone."

Kate broke into a sly grin. "Oh? Who's the lucky lady? Don't tell me it's Darcy Pembroke."

MacCready bounced on his heels with pocketed hands before mumbling out a name.

"What?"

He cleared his throat. "Deacon."

"What?!"

"Alright, alright, keep your shirt on. I'll see you in the morning." He walked back downstairs.

"Wait, I need details!" She tried to stand up. "OW!"

Arthur grabbed her hand and pulled until she laid back. "You're on bedrest, luce mia. And as long as I'm here, you won't be breaking the rules."

"Buzzkill." She muttered.

"Would you like some water?"

She nodded and he got up to grab a can from behind the lantern, opening it for her to sip. "Is there anything else I can get for you? Maybe an extra blanket or some food."

She shook her head. "Just lay with me...please? You have no idea how much I've missed just being with you."

He smiled softly and wrapped an arm around her, laying back and pulling her into his arms. Their breaths connected and mixed between them as he placed a chaste kiss to her forehead.

"Is this alright?" He asked.

"It's perfect."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Intendo ogni parola, amore mia = I mean every word, my love


	14. Chapter 14

Two weeks had passed of Kate's recovery and with Arthur going back and forth to the Prydwen, she had spent most of that time with MacCready reading old comics and talking about the gossip around town.

When he finally returned, she was happy to break up the monotony of the days, the same old routine had been boring and she hadn't stayed long in one place since she woke up from the vault.

"We should head to the bar and get a drink." She suggested.

"Are you sure that's a good idea? You're still on pain medicine."

"One beer won't hurt...besides, I think it's time I gave you the tour of Diamond City. We can't just hand around Homeplate all the time."

"Very well. Lead the way."

On the way to the bar, Arthur asked where MacCready had been.

"He's around...probably with a mutual friend." She answered, not wanting to spill that he had been spending just about every night with Deacon in Nick's office while he was out on a case with Ellie.

They ordered to beers and sat at the counter, chatting idly for a few minutes about Daniel and more plans for the Institue. From behind them they could hear the door to the bar open and shut, but neither cared to look until someone said something directly behind them.

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me."

The voice sounded familiar and had them both turning on their stools. Arthur's chest rumbled with a grunt as he recognized the bar patron, his hand setting down his beer on the aged counter.

"Rhys." He greeted.

Kate choked on her sip and looked between them, feeling the waves of hatred emanating from the former knight.

"Funny running into you here, _Elder_." He sneered. "I didn't think you were good enough to join the rest of us in the wastes."

"I assure you that's not the case. I just never had a reason to visit the local attractions before now."

Kate could feel danger coming; before the war she had dealt with a lot of jealous lovers in court, people who refused to accept that someone had moved on...you could always see the gears in their head run ragged before they exploded. It was the look Rhys had now.

"So, I was kicked out for sleeping with your wife but you're out here fucking around with people who just joined? That's bullshit!"

"Paladin Danse made the decision to discharge you...I simply agreed to it."

"Oh, I see...so you can fuck whoever you want but Madeline can't? Jesus, I can't believe I wasted three years of my life training with you and your damn robots!"

Arthur stood up from the stool, towering over the disgruntled man by half a foot. Kate looked over at her shoulder and shared a look of concern with Vadim, who gave her a comforting smile.

"Hey, let's share a drink, on the house!" He suggested. "Let bygones be bygones."

"Like I would ever share a drink with this asshole." Rhys walked closer. "Can't even satisfy his own wife...that's why I had to step in and show her what a real man is like."

Arthur chuckled. "You want Madeline? You can have her...though I doubt she would want you now that you're a common nobody."

"You wanna say that again? I don't see your fancy armed guards out here, you sure you can put up a fight, Elder?"

Kate stepped off her stool with a hand up between the men. "Look, why don't we cool down? I'm sure Vadim doesn't want a fight to break out."

Arthur broke contact with Rhys to stare at her, head nodding slightly. "You're right. Let's just head back home for the night."

She smiled thankfully and took his arm, leading him out of the bar while everyone watched nosily.

Rhys scoffed from behind and followed them a few steps. "Yeah, that's what I thought! Walk away with your skank bitch!"

Arthur's composure suddenly snapped and he whipped around to tackle Rhys to the ground.

Patrons gasped and gathered around as punches started to fly between both men, some cheering and placing bets on who would win. Rhy's knocked Arthur's brow with his fist while Arthur caused Rhys' nose to bleed onto the beige carpet. Kate got over her initial shock and pulled on Arthur's arm, forcing his fist back before he could deliver another blow to Rhys' jaw. They locked eyes and she gave him a worried look, noticing the slight abrasion on his eyebrow.

"C'mon, let's get out of here." She practically begged.

His chest rose and fell as he caught his breath, nodding after a moment and reluctantly stepping off Rhys to follow her out of the bar. When they spilled out into the night, the cold air hit her like waves of relief. MacCready and Deacon were walking in at that moment, stopping to notice the disheveled condition of Arthur and the panicked look stuck on her face.

"Katie," Mac looked between them "-what the heck is going on?"

"There was a fight that broke out." She exhaled. "Can you take him back to Homeplate? I'm going to find Dr. Sun."

"Sure, I guess."

"I'm fine, Kate, really." Arthur insisted.

"You're bleeding."

"It's nothing."

"Just go with MacCready before Rhys comes looking for another round."

She didn't wait for his retort before she went off to Doctor Sun's house, leaving Deacon and MacCready to awkwardly bring him back to the house.

"Geez, that guy got you good." MacCready said once inside.

"I'm not surprised, he was top of his class in close-quarter combat...and well, I'm a bit rusty. It's been a while since I've gotten into a fight." He just then noticed Deacon and gave him a wary nod. "Who's this?"

"Me?" Deacon smiled. "Oh, I'm a nobody...don't you worry. I'm just here to observe."

Kate returned with a large box in her hands, crouching down in front of Arthur and to reveal enough medical supplies to rival a small hospital.

"Dr. Sun didn't want to be bothered with this seeing as it wasn't an emergency but he gave me his first aid kit."

"What an ass," MacCready scoffed "...I'll bet he's just too hungover to care."

"Probably." Kate agreed as she popped the lid off a fresh stimpak. "Would you guys mind giving us a minute? I kinda need to focus."

Deacon smiled and wrapped an arm over MacCready's shoulders. "Sure thing, butter bean...we'll just go check in with Vadim and make sure he isn't too pissed about the mess you guys left." He practically dragged MacCready out, catching the message that Kate wanted to be alone.

When the door finally shut, she pressed an alcohol-soaked cotton to his brow and frowned, trying to be gentle. "You might need med-x for the swelling. Is that alright?"

"Sure. I trust you."

She tried to ignore the flutter in her chest as she applied the chem to his vein, completely hypnotized by how defined and strong his arm felt under her fingertips. When she finished, she went to the deep freezer in the kitchen and broke off a piece of an icicle that had been building from the constant power outages.

"Here," she wrapped it in a cloth "-this should help with the pain."

"So...what's your expert opinion? Will it bruise?"

"Maybe," she sighed and she sat beside him "-I'm sorry that you got hurt defending my honor...even though I could've done it myself."

He chuckled and held the ice to his head. "Trust me, this fight with Rhys was a long time coming. He was fooling around with Madeline for almost a year before Danse realized it."

Kate frowned and thought back to when Danse let her in on when it was happening. He said that it was known that she fooled around with multiple men...was it really only Rhys the entire time? And Danse was just too naive to notice?

"So, you knew for that long and you never said anything?"

"I never cared to...Madeline and I never wanted each other in the first place. Who was I to keep her from being with the person she wanted? Whether it was Rhys or another man, I didn't want to stop her from being herself."

"But she's your wife, the mother of your child...surely you cared a little bit."

He shrugged. "Maybe at first. I never expected her to do something so heartless but to be fair, she's no you."

"What does that mean?"

He chuckled slightly at remembering. "You did not like me whatsoever when we first met...and truthfully, I was scared of you. The way you carried yourself, the way you looked at me...I was prepared to spend a lifetime trying to get along with you. Then somehow, we became friends. We talked, we laughed, we kissed...it felt like we were really getting somewhere."

"...and then I left." She said sadly. 

"And then you left." Arthur nodded. "I never blamed you, though, a woman like you shouldn't have to be hidden away like a secret. You deserved better."

"So, you're happy that I escaped?" 

"No. I was miserable...I spent weeks worried and confused and angry. Then I was married to Madeline and everything changed. She was the complete opposite of you...loud, argumentative, very uncaring and cold."

"But that didn't stop you from sleeping with her."

He chuckled low. "It only happened twice. Once the night we were married, twice the month after when she failed to get pregnant. Since then, our only interactions have been heated arguments about our son."

"I'm sorry, it sounds exhausting."

"It can be."

Kate moved her hand to the side of his face, holding the ice in place for him. "For what it's worth, I think she was a complete idiot for ever cheating on you. She must've never realized how good she had it."

"Like I said, she's no you."

Kate smiled slightly and moved forward until her lips connected with his, letting the ice fall to the floor carelessly.

A soft noise of surprise escaped Arthur before he kissed her back, his hands moving to pull at her hips until she sat in his lap. Kate moaned softly in response, her fingers moving against the stubble on his jaw, tilting his head until her tongue gained entrance to his mouth.

All too quickly, the kiss ended and they pulled apart with a breathy chuckle.

Kate stayed positioned in his lap, her forehead resting against his. "You should get some rest...I bet that med-x is gonna kick in soon."

He smiled slightly and nodded. "Only if you sleep beside me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I'm not gonna lie...the next chapter might take a while to put out because it's the chapter with smut and I don't want to rush it. I'm a bit of a smut perfectionist... xD hopefully it'll be worth it though and I PROMISE it won't take longer than a few weeks. If it does feel free to harass me on here and Facebook if you're apart of the Fallout fanfiction group.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trick or treat!!! <3 Here's some smut... ;) I really hope I did you guys proud! <3

"Are you sure you're ready?"

Kate looked back at MacCready with a wily smirk, her fingers smoothing out the stray hairs on her blonde wig. "It's been a month, I'm ready."

"But you were stabbed...you know nobody would think less of you if you took some more time to recover."

"Don't be silly," she insisted "-the wound is scabbed over and I don't need pain medicine anymore. There's no reason for me not to go back to the Brotherhood."

"I can think of a few reasons..." he muttered under his breath "-look, I just don't want you to get hurt. Just because you're feeling better doesn't mean you're at 100%...why don't you wait a few more days? Catch up on sleep."

She pushed her sunglasses up the bridge of her nose, glaring back at him strangely. It didn't make sense that he would fight so hard to keep her from leaving so soon.

"I've _been_ catching up on sleep, I'm going crazy sitting in this house all day. Besides, Ingram said today was when the teleporter would be finished."

"Yeah, but-"

"Just worry about you and Deacon, alright?" She switched subjects. "He's gonna start asking questions about me and Arthur and I don't want to keep him in the dark anymore."

He sighed and nodded slightly, confirming that the spy had already begun to wonder about what was going on. "What am I supposed to tell him?"

"Tell him the truth..." Kate expressed "-after I leave."

"Fine, but it won't be pretty. He's gonna be furious when he finds out you were married to the guy."

"So just suck his dick and make him forget."

His nose crinkled up. "You think you're cute, don't you?"

She laughed and kissed his cheek, teasing him about the growing shade of pink on his cheeks. "Just stay safe while I'm gone. I'm probably going to come back to the Prydwen first so wait there until you get a signal from me. Hopefully, this won't take more than a few days."

"And hopefully you'll come back with Shaun."

"That's the plan." She smiled.

* * *

After saying her goodbye, Kate headed for the airport to see the teleporter for herself. It was much larger than she ever anticipated, blue sparks of light zapped into the air before dissipating into nothing.

Everything was becoming real now...after two years of being in this world, she was going to get her son back. Would he know about her? Or at least know where he was from? Surely, he would know that he had parents that loved him...

The realization that she was going to get him back hit her hard; it gave her the push she needed to walk into Arthur's office to tell him that she was ready. However, when she closed the door behind her, the color from his face drained as if he'd seen a ghost.

"Hey," she pulled him into a hug "I've been looking for you."

He pulled back somewhat surprised, floundering for a moment before fully recovering. "Kate...what are you doing here? I didn't think you'd be back until next week."

"Ingram said the teleporter would be ready today, I kinda figured the sooner I left the better."

"But you're still hurt...we can postpone the mission if you aren't feeling your best."

"I'm fine," she scoffed softly "...why does nobody believe that?"

"It's just that you were severely injured, for any normal person it would take months to get back into fighting shape."

"Well, I'm not most people."

He smiled for a moment before it melted into a frown, his fingers lacing with hers as he let out a long sigh. "Kate...there's something we need to discuss."

"Okay...what's on your mind?" 

"I wasn't planning on letting you go into the Institute."

Her eyes narrowed in confusion and her hand pulled from his. "What are you talking about? I thought that was the original plan."

"That was before I found out about your true identity. Now that I know who you are, Danse is going to go in your place."

"Danse? Are you kidding me?" She seethed. "You can't do that!"

"I can, actually." He said. "When it comes to Brotherhood missions, I am in charge of who can go where."

"But you promised me that I could go!"

"No, I promised Lucy MacCready that she could go, you aren't her...I'm sorry, Kate, but I don't think you're well-suited for this mission."

"Why the hell not? Because I'm from a different time? This is bullshit, Arthur, I'm the one who brought you the teleporter schematics in the first place!"

"And I thank you for that, it has been very helpful in our pursuit against the Insitute." He sighed and ran his hands up and down her biceps. "I know this isn't what you imagined but it's for the best...this mission is dangerous."

"You think I don't know that?" She swatted his hands away. "I'm not an idiot!"

"I never said you were."

"Then tell me why I can't go!" She shouted. "I have done everything you have asked since joining the Brotherhood, I even protected your son! I am fully capable of going into the Institute!"

"It's not that simple, Kate," he let out a frustrated huff "...there are more things to consider!"

"Like what?"

He stuttered as he tried to think of a reason. "It doesn't matter! I am the Elder and what I say goes!"

"Are you freaking kidding me? I'm not just another soldier, Arthur!"

"I know that!"

"Great, then give me one good reason why I can't go!"

"Because I can't lose you again!"

She recoiled slightly, like his confession slapped her across the face. Arthur exhaled shallowly and ran a hand through his hair, his legs keeping him from standing still.

"I'm sorry. I know that I promised but I just can't...if something happened to you, I wouldn't be able to survive."

"You're being selfish." She recovered from her shock. "I need my son back, that's what this whole thing has been about! That's why I left you in the first place."

"We don't even know if the teleporter will work! It could kill you, Kate, don't you realize that? I'm trying to protect you."

"I don't need your protection," she shouted "-I need my son!"

"And I need you!"

"You managed to live two years without me, you can do it again!" 

"I didn't live, Kate, I existed! I ate and I slept and I thought about you, that's all I ever did!"

"And you don't think I did the same? I love you, Arthur, it took everything for me to leave the first time."

He went silent, eyes searching hers while his chest deflated with a long breath.

"I'm scared, alright?" He admitted. "I'm scared that you'll die in the teleporter or that you'll be attacked if you get inside. The odds of you coming back at all are slim and I can't risk losing you again...it would kill me."

"And losing my son would kill me." She sighed. "I have to find him, Arthur, I've already missed out on so much. You can't look me in the eye and say you wouldn't do the same for Daniel."

"I would do anything for him..."

"Then you know why I have to leave."

He nodded slowly, shoulders curling in as he reached a decision. "You're right. The only thing I love more than you is my child and I know you feel the same. So...you can go. I'll tell Danse to hold his position."

Kate let out a long relieved sigh, "Thank you, Arthur."

He paused for a moment. "Do you really love me?"

She chuckled softly and moved her hand to rest against his cheek. "More than you realize."

He leaned into her touch until his lips touched her inner wrist.

"I love you too, luce mia."

"I know." She said before pulling him into a warm kiss.

Their lips moved together like a classical dance, smooth and well-balanced. Arthur took the lead and tugged on her waist slightly, pulling her toward the bed that sat in the corner of his room. When he sat back on the flimsy mattress, she crawled on top of him, her knees opening to move into his lap.

"I've thought about this for a long time," he whispered while peppering kisses along her jawline "-voglio scoparti."

"I don't know what that means."

"It means I want to fuck you." He hummed low.

Kate blushed – she couldn’t help it.

"But...what about your wife? I don't want you to regret doing this because of her."

He stared at her blankly for a moment. "Kate, _you're_ my wife...she's nobody. I could never regret anything when it comes to you."

"Do you really mean that?"

"With every fiber of my being." He promised.

She smiled and kissed him again briefly, pulling away to step off his lap and tug at the wig that sat on top of her head. Arthur leaned back with his elbows against his bed, his admiring gaze on Kate while she unfastened the collar to her jumpsuit.  
With a bitten lip she pulled her zipper down slowly, feeling Arthur's eyes linger on her cleavage as it stopped beneath her belly button. 

She took a step forward to allow Arthur to pull the fabric from her hips, the thin layer of underwear the only thing keeping her modest.

"I think you're perfect." He said with a kiss to her stomach.

She smiled and tousled his hair playfully. "I think you're wearing too much."

"I agree." He smirked.

He stood from the bed in front of her, removing his clothes while keeping eye contact with her. Pink spread through her cheeks as she dared to peek down at his bare flesh, the muscles of his torso flexing as he tugged the clothing from him. Arthur cleared his throat to call her attention back to his eyes and she couldn't help but chuckle shyly. Being with him was making her feel like a virgin all over again, blushing and nervous. 

His hand made contact with her lower back as he pulled her close, the hairs of his beard tickling her neck as he leaned down to suck at the sensitive skin.

With one fluid movement, his fingers unhooked the clasp to her bra, allowing the thin straps to fall around her shoulders. Kate held it loosely to her chest for a moment before letting it fall, eyes focused on Arthur's reaction. 

"Wow." He whispered softly. 

She smiled and took his hand into hers, placing his palm over her breast while he swallowed audibly. His fingers splayed out and squeezed lightly, eyes checking hers to see if it was alright. Kate nodded and moaned quietly when he rubbed his thumb across her nipple. 

Her hands went to his side, sliding down slowly until her fingers hooked into the elastic of his underwear. Arthur used his free hand to pull the fabric down around his ankles, his cock popping out to graze against her belly. Kate dared to look down and let out a soft gasp, admiring how taut and swollen the head of his member was. 

"Now I think you're wearing too much." He commented with a grin. 

She flashed him a wicked look and pushed down her panties, stepping out of them when they hit the floor.

Her hands then moved to his chest and pushed him back until he sat back on the mattress. 

His skin was hot against hers, warming her as he pulled her on top of him. His hardness pressed against her thighs, forcing a deep groan of appreciation from Arthur's throat.

His hips jerked against her involuntarily.

"Excited, hmm?" She teased and bent down to kiss his chest. "I think I like seeing you this desperate."

"So, you're a sadist?" He chuckled. "I should've known."

She laughed and bent down to capture his lips, enjoying how intimate it felt to be naked with him after spending so long waiting. 

Arthur pulled away from her lips to suck at her breasts, flicking his tongue of her perked nipples until her hips shifted needily.

"Fuck, I don't think I can wait anymore," she whined "-I need you inside of me."

"You don't need to ask me twice."

With a smirk, he angled his hips up until the head of his cock slid in between her folds, nestling against her clit in one smooth motion. Kate gasped with closed eyelids, her nails digging into his shoulders until marks were left.

Arthur grunted either from the sting of her nails or the warmth of her cunt, his hips rolled against her until finally dipping into her entrance and forcing a shaky breath from the both of them.

With one drawn-out push, he sheathed himself inside of her, stretching her until she was flush against his pelvis. Kate let out a shuddering breath and closed her eyes, her fingers relaxing against Arthur's skin.

"Wow..." she exhaled slowly.

"Like it?" He asked.

She nodded rapidly, eyes still squeezed shut. Slowly, she began to rock her hips, sliding up and down his length progressively with more speed. Arthur let his hands stay on her hips to guide her, each thrust going harder than the last. 

"You feel so good," he breathed out "...we should've done this sooner." 

She let out something between a moan and laugh, all while riding him with a smile lingering on her face.

Her breasts bounced with each sharp movement, capturing Arthur's attention for a few seconds before focusing back on her face. His hips moved up to meet with hers, a shuddering breath leaving him each time she slammed against his pelvis. 

Kate's back arched as her head tossed back, Arthur's name falling from her mouth like a sinful mantra. She could feel his sack smack against her ass with every thrust, all while every inch of him filled her until he couldn't take anymore. 

"Kate-" he said shakily "...you might want to get off."

Her hips continued to move up and down his cock, ignoring his warning.

"Kate," he said again.

"Just come inside of me," she whispered against him "-please?" 

He knew better than to do that, but with her rocking against him with sweat misted across her brow and eyes hungry with lust, he felt self-control slip away. His hands guided her down harder than before, driving him over the edge as his cock spurted inside of her warm heat. Kate cried out in pleasure and fell against his chest, his seed already leaking out around his cock and down her thighs. 

"Fuck," she whimpered out "-tell me again why we waited so long to do that?" 

"Because we're idiots." Arthur laughed as he caught his breath, his hand tracing delicate circles along her bicep.

Kate rolled off of him and to his side, looking up at him with a smile before nuzzling herself into his chest, inhaling deeply before closing her eyes.

"Well, on the bright side...we're gonna have two years of sex to make up for when I get back." 

"I'm going to hold you to that." He smiled and planted a kiss to her head, completely content with her in his arms.  

Finally, for once...things were right. They both soaked in every moment of it because unfortunately, they knew it wouldn't last. 


	16. Chapter 16

After a couple days of Kate being gone, MacCready had taken over her house with Deacon at his side. It was nice at first, a couple days of drinking and pulling pranks on Myrna across the market...a few passionate moments shared on the couch and in the kitchen. It was a good distraction from the emotional rollercoaster that had been his life the past few months.

However, that had all come to an end when he remembered that it was time to tell Deacon about what was going on with the Brotherhood. He had been asking and it was easy to brush it off before but now that Kate had given her blessing to share the news, he was hesitant to do so...the last thing he wanted was to ruin the amazing few days they had just shared.

He stared at his breakfast plate feeling slightly sick from the guilt he had been carrying.

"You alright?" The spy asked as he pranced into the kitchen. "Don't tell me the omelet is bad..."

He sighed hopelessly. "I was actually wondering if we can talk for a minute."

Deacon looked slightly worried but covered it with a smirk. "Sure. Is it about last night? You told me that you could handle being tied up, remember? It isn't my fault you got rope burns, babe."

"It's not that."

"Alright then..." he sat across the table "-shoot."

He took a deep breath and bounced his legs, nervous about how this conversation would go. "Well, it's about Maxson and Kate. I know you've been wanting to know and now that she's inside of the Institute-"

Deacon gasped joyfully and grabbed the merc's arm in excitement. "You're finally gonna tell me? Oh no, lemme guess!...She's gonna assassinate him? I knew it all along! Good for her."

"Deacon," 

"Sorry, sorry...I get carried away. Go on, tell me what's up."

"Okay, but you have to promise me that you won't shoot the messenger."

A worried look appeared on his face for a fraction of a second. "Sure. I mean it can't be that bad, can it?"

"You might be surprised."

"Well, don't give a guy blue balls, tell me what's been going on."

MacCready gnawed on his lip before spilling the words out like vomit. "They're...married."

Silence followed for a number of seconds.  

"I'm sorry...there might be a draft in here, can you repeat that? Because it sounded like you just said they were married."

He nervously nodded.

Deacon's smile lessened into a serious look. "Wait, you're telling me that Kate... _our Kate_...is married to Arthur Maxson?"

"I know it's hard to believe but...yeah. I mean, they're separated now but for a few months they were living together in the Capital."

"This is a joke, right? You're just trying to mess with me..."

"No. I'm being serious, Deacon."

He frowned and stood up, circling around the table with his hand scratching at his jaw. "So, you knew? This whole time we've been talking you knew that she was married to him?"

He nodded.

"Shit." He exhaled. "I never thought you'd be the guy to lie about something that big. Shame on me, I guess."

"I'm sorry, alright? I wanted to tell you but Kate wasn't sure how you'd react."

"Of course she did." He laughed bitterly. "She knew _exactly_ how I would react, that's why she kept it a secret."

Before MacCready could apologize again, the spy picked up his coat and headed for the door, clearly intent on getting out of the situation.

"Wait...where are you going?"

"Look, I gotta go alright? I need to get some things in order...plus I'm pretty sure I left the stove on back at HQ."

MacCready frowned at hearing his humorous exterior go back up, it was like being thrown out and left in the cold.

"Deacon...you can't just leave."

He stopped at the door and sighed, looking back at him with a regretful pout. "I'm sorry, Robert."

The door slammed behind him, leaving an echo in MacCready's ears.

* * *

Arthur smiled to himself as he waited with an empty glass in his hand, the amber-colored whiskey calling to him from across the room.

He was expecting a knock at the door, but hearing it still send a jolt of excitement through his spine. This day had been a long time coming and now he was going to sit back and enjoy every moment of it...

"Come in." He called out.

Madeline walked in with the same sour look on her face, clearly irritated that she had to march up to his office during her personal time.

"You wanted to see me?" She asked.

"Yes, take a seat."

She rolled her eyes but moved to the couch, arms crossed over her chest like she was ready to argue. "Can we just make this fast? I have better things to do than talk to you all day."

"Very well," Arthur nodded nonchalantly as he poured himself a drink "...I'm divorcing you."

Madeline scoffed like what he said was a joke. "Excuse me?"

"Are you suddenly hard of hearing? I'm leaving you...immediately."

She sputtered for a moment, trying to come up with a coherent sentence while Arthur smiled in satisfaction.

"What are you talking about? You can't divorce me."

"I can, actually." He smiled. "What? Don't tell me you're disappointed. I was hoping we could pop a bottle of champagne to celebrate."

"Are you insane?"

"Possibly. Only because you've made me that way."

She stood up, challenging him with a harsh stare. "No...I've put up with you for too long to just walk away from this life. You wanna fuck someone else? Fine, go right ahead. But I refuse to leave."

"This isn't up for negotiation, Madeline. There is a vertibird leaving in one hour and you and Daniel are getting on it. I've arranged for you to have the best suite in Rivet City, you'll be welcomed to the Citadel three times a week for unsupervised visits with our son, and twice a month he can stay with you for the weekend." He paused. "I'm trying to make this as civil as possible, Madeline, it's up to you how you want to proceed."

Her lip pursed out. "What about money? How am I supposed to buy things?"

"You'll be given a weekly allowance of 800 caps, which I think is more than fair. Aside from that? You can get a job. I'm sure there are plenty available around the wastes."

"A job?" She repeated as if he said a curse word. "You can't do that to me, Arthur, I'm your wife!"

"Not anymore." He held up the stack of papers. "Now that we have a child, our marriage contract has been fulfilled. And seeing that you've cheated on me numerous times, I don't feel the need to continue with it."

He handed her the papers and took a long sip of his drink, soaking in every moment of this.

"Why now?" She asked. "Why didn't you do this months ago?"

"I never had a reason."

"And you do now?"

"Yes."

"Well...what is it? What possible reason could you have to break up our family?"

He actually laughed. "We were never a family, Madeline, you've made that quite clear. As for my reasoning, it's none of your business. Not anymore."

She pouted, her eyes looking over the documents he handed her. "What if I give you another child? Could I stay then?"

"I don't think you're understanding what I'm trying to say, Madeline. I don't want you. And you don't want me. This marriage isn't beneficial to either of us."

"But Daniel...he'll never get to see his parents together."

Arthur nodded. "I know...but I would rather him see us happy apart than miserable together."

She stayed silent for a moment, eyes downcast at the papers in her hand. Arthur could see the gears turning in her head, it was the same look she had whenever she had to make up a lie on the spot. Usually it was to cover the fact that she had been fooling around with one of his men, but now it was clear that she was trying to find a way to absorb the new information laid upon her.

"So...it'll be like we never knew each other?" She asked.

"Not exactly, we still share a child." He put his glass down. "I'm not trying to erase you from my life, Madeline, I'm trying to give us a second chance at happiness. Just not with each other."

Her lip turned up in a thankful smile before covering itself with her pretentious facade. Arthur chuckled inwardly at the reaction; it was very _her_.

"Fine. I'll go...but don't think you can change your mind and win me back. I'm already over this little cavort we have going."

"I'm sure." He nodded and extended his hand for her to shake. "Be careful out there, Madeline."

She shook it gently, no longer seeing him as her opponent. "You too, Arthur."


	17. Chapter 17

Arthur wasn't ready when a soldier had announced that Kate had returned to the airport. They had planned on a minimum of two weeks without contact before believing that the worst had happened.

Honestly, he had been trying to keep himself busy to avoid thinking about it. With Madeline packing up and leaving with Daniel, he had readied himself to be buried in paperwork for the remaining time. The last thing he anticipated was Kate coming home on day four, one day after MacCready had arrived on the Prydwen.

"Where is she?"

The man walked into his command deck with a concerned yet irritated tone. Arthur had to refrain himself from barking back.

"She's on her way up as we speak. She should be boarding any second."

"Well, have you heard anything? Does she have her son? Is she okay?"

"All I know is that she's alone."

"That's it?" He seethed. "Jesus, you couldn't get anything else? Was she hurt or upset?" 

"I. Don't. Know." Arthur glared at him. "I just found out about her sudden return, same as you." 

"You're the one in charge, shouldn't you know what's happening at your airport?" 

"I don't like your tone. I suggest you fix it before I have you thrown out of here." 

"Oh, I'm sure Kate would like that." He scoffed. "Throwing out the person who knows her best would just thrill her." 

" _I_   know her best." Arthur challenged him. 

"Oh please, you've only spent a few months with her altogether. I've been with her for years!"

The doors to the command center opened, stopping their spat in its tracks. Kate walked in with her blonde wig on, arms hugging herself as she stumbled forward. Arthur could see the puffiness in her eyes, the way her lip trembled as she tried to take steady breaths.

MacCready rushed forward to pull her into an embrace. "Shh, it's okay-" MacCready comforted her "...you're safe now." 

Hushed sobs came from her as she buried her face in his coat, Arthur watched in resignation from the sideline, feeling like he was witnessing an intimate moment that he shouldn't have seen. When he finally realized that he was being pushed aside, he walked over to break up their hug by placing a tender hand on her upper back. 

"Are you hurt?" He asked. "What happened?"

She shook her head, trying to get out everything that happened to her in one pained sentence. "I'm so stupid," she cried "-I thought I would just go in there and get my son and everything would just go back to normal. I can't believe I was so naive."

MacCready frowned. "Does that mean?...Shaun...is he-?"

"He's alive."

"That's _good_ ," he said unsure "-where is he?"

"I left him there. I just...left."

Arthur wrapped an arm around her, trying to comfort her in any way possible. "I'm sure you had your reasons...you don't have to explain if you don't want to." 

"No. You need to know what happened," Kate covered her face to muffle a sob, speaking through her hands to tell them that Shaun was not just an old man, but the leader of the Institute.

Arthur and MacCready stayed quiet while she spoke, occasionally sharing glances that summed up how fucked up her situation was.

"I was there for three days getting to know my baby and it turns out it was just a synth they created to look like him...the whole time the real Shaun was watching me grow attached to a fake child. Just for his own curiosity."

"Jesus...that's cruel." MacCready sympathized. "What happened when you found out?"

"I told him that I didn't know him...that there was no way I could ever work for what he's built. I said that his father would die all over again if he knew how evil he ended up."

Arthur let out a breath. "I'm guessing he didn't take it that well?"

"Sir!" A knight suddenly ran into the room. "There's a problem at the airport, synths are appearing out of nowhere and attacking Liberty Prime!"

MacCready stared up at the soldiers like they were morons. "I'm guessing no...he didn't take it well."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter ended up being really long with the fight so I decided to split it into two parts. Hopefully it won't take me forever to get the next one up.


	18. Chapter 18

"Send every possible soldier to the airport!" Arthur told his knight. "We can't afford any more damage to Liberty Prime."

"Yes, sir!" They saluted before filing out.

"I have to go see what's happening," he turned to MacCready "...you can handle a rifle, right?"

He nodded and followed him out of the command deck, leaving Kate lagging behind.

"What about me?" She asked, trying to keep up with their fast pace.

"You're staying here."

"What?" She scoffed. "No! This is Shaun's way of hurting me. I'm going to fight back!"

"That isn't happening. It's dangerous out there, Kate."

"No shit, I know that!" She fumed. "But I'm not going to sit and hide while the child I brought into this world attacks innocent people."

"We can handle this without you, my people are capable."

"He's right," MacCready interjected "-it's safer for you up here."

"Are you kidding me? You're agreeing with him?"

"Come on, don't give me that! You just got back from the Institute, Kate, you don't even have armor on!"

Outside the two men boarded the nearest vertibird, making sure that she stood by the railing until they docked. Before pulling away from the Prydwen, she jumped the small gap and fell into the cargo with Arthur and MacCready.

"Are you insane?!" Her best friend shouted.

"No, I'm angry! And I'm fighting!"

"Goddamnit, Kate, I don't have time to protect you!"

She turned to Arthur with a firm glare. "I can take care of myself! It's my fault this is happening in the first place."

When the vertibird landed she ran off, ignoring the calls of Arthur and MacCready. There were a crate of standard laser rifles by the empty terminal that she grabbed before making her way to the fight.

The knight wasn't exaggerating...there were synths pouring out everywhere.

She shot down a few that were climbing up Liberty Prime's legs while MacCready and Arthur showed up on the opposite end of the runway. Kate turned around to fire another shot but was blindsided by a gen-1 that smacked her across the chest with a shock baton, sending a jolt of pain through her torso. MacCready put it down with two bullets while Arthur rushed to Kate's side.

"Are you hurt?" He shouted over the fight. "This is exactly why I wanted you to stay on the Prydwen!"

"I'm fine!" She clutched her heart. "Just keep firing!"

It took nearly eight minutes before the waves of synths slowed to a halt, the last being picked off by the soldiers with miniguns. When the airport was finally secured again, Arthur pulled Kate onto the first vertibird going back to the Prydwen, leaving MacCready begrudgingly waiting for the next one.

"OW! You're hurting my arm!" She whined while being dragged to the MedBay.

Inside he spoke to Cade, "Run every test that you deem necessary." he told him firmly.

Kate interjected with a baffled snort. "I'm fine, it was one hit! You're being ridiculous, Arthur."

Cade made a confused face at the use of his first name.

"You could've been seriously injured. I told you to stay behind and you disobeyed me. You're lucky that I'm not going to bring you up on charges." He turned to Cade. "Patch her up and make sure to tell her how stupid it was going into a firefight unarmed."

He walked out leaving a tense silence in the air, Kate relaxed her shoulders a bit and turned to Cade, noticing that he was just as uncomfortable with seeing her being yelled at.

"I know it was stupid." She broke the silence.

The man gave her a sympathetic smile and patted his examination table. "Have a seat, knight."

She sighed and hopped up, wincing slightly at the sting from the baton.

"Due to the shock to your chest," Cade spoke "...I'm going to give you a troponin test. It's going to allow me to see if the muscles around your heart have been damaged from the fight."

"Is it gonna hurt?"

"Not to worry, it's a simple blood test. The results should take around 48 hours. Hold out your arm, please."

Kate rolled up her sleeve and handed her limb over, biting her tongue as the needle poked into her vein. The sting was nothing compared to the tongue lashing that Arthur was going to give her...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Every time I update I feel like I have to justify why I haven't been updating or why my writing sucks and I feel like I'm annoying everyone so...I'm gonna try and not do that anymore. I hope...anyways, I hope you enjoy!


	19. Chapter 19

Kate walked into Arthur's office to find it empty.

She knew he was still mad about the injury she received, but she didn't think he would go as far as to hide from her. 

She looked around the mess hall and command deck, hoping to find him lingering around but found nothing. As a last-ditch effort, she checked the front end of the ship, remembering that a few knights say that was the go-to place to get some fresh air. When she pushed open the large door, she was greeted to the familiar smell of cigarettes and bourbon. Arthur stood looking over the railing with smoke billowing out from his mouth, his head glancing back at her before focusing on the sunset.

Kate mustered up enough courage to walk forward, standing beside him with her hands shoved into her elbows for warmth.

"It's cold out here." She mentioned.

Arthur nodded slightly while taking another puff. "Kells dislikes it when I smoke inside."

She acknowledged his statement with a hum and stood beside him in silence, looking over the calmness of the Commonwealth. She was still processing all of the information she had gathered over the past few days...how her child was nothing but a dream that was long past, how she wasted so much time searching for him...everything was suddenly unclear.

Except Arthur.

He was the only one that truly cared about her. Sure, MacCready was like family but she knew deep down that he only hangs around because she helped save Duncan. Had that not been the case, he may have left long ago...

But with Arthur, he didn't gain anything by being in her presence. He didn't love her out of obligation, he did it because he wanted to make her happy. In every way, he was perfect for her...hell, he was perfect himself.

What more could she ask for in a husband?

She glanced at him apologetically. "I'm sorry. I know you were just trying to protect me."

"And yet you still disobeyed me." He deadpanned.

"Of course I did...I'm not just another soldier, Arthur, I'm more apart of this than anyone. If I didn't fight then the deaths that the Brotherhood sustained would've been on my shoulders. It was my responsibility to fight back against my son...you know that."

He sighed, stamping out his cigarette lazily. "I'm just glad you're okay...and I apologize too."

She leaned her head against his bicep while smiling up at him. "Does that mean you forgive me?"

"Not quite." He smirked. "See, if it had been anyone else there would be serious repercussions for disobeying me...but since you and I have somewhat of a history, I believe I can think of another form of punishment."

"Oh?" Kate chuckled.

His arm moved to wrap around her lower back, pulling her close enough to kiss. She melted against his touch, tasting the warm smoke still left behind on his tongue. When she pulled away she could see the lust swimming in his eyes, his pupils slightly blown as she sunk down to her knees in front of him.

"Aren't you afraid of being caught?" He asked. 

"We can make this fast." She winked. Her fingers fumbled with the zipper to his jumpsuit, pulling out his hardened member into the freezing air of the evening.

Arthur shuddered slightly when she took him into her mouth, warming him up with the strokes of her tongue.

He knew the risk of being discovered was high, this spot was frequented by his staff trying to catch some fresh air and he knew that if he were caught in this position there would be no way out of it. Still, the thrill of it had his blood running hot beneath his skin.

Kate swallowed around him, drawing a groan from deep in his chest. His hand twirled itself into her hair lovingly, his eyes admiring how her lips wrapped around him. When she looked up and made eye contact with him, he nearly broke apart.

"Fuck-" He muttered.

Her hand moved up and down his shaft everytime her mouth slid over his tip, the sensation had him biting his lip to keep in the noises that were desperate to come out. He tugged on her hair slightly, drawing a muffled chuckle from her throat as she buried herself against the curls of his pelvis. 

Arthur grunted and with his eyes closed, he came inside of her mouth, feeling of her tongue lapping up every part of him. He didn't even notice when she tucked him back in or when she stood up and smoothed down her hair. 

The smile on her lips let him know exactly how much she enjoyed seeing him so undone. 

"If that was my punishment I might have to act out more often." 

"You won't hear any complaints from me," he pulled her into a kiss "c'mon...let's go inside. It's getting cold out here."

* * *

MacCready walked into the Dugout with one thing on his brain...find Deacon.

It had only been a few days since their argument but he was desperate to fix it. With everything going on with Kate, he needed somebody talk to and maybe help release some stress. And if he were being honest...he actually missed seeing the pathological liar. It was funny how much he grew on him after months of sarcasm and denying his advances. 

As he scanned the room he could see his bald head shining from the lights of the bar. A beer sat in front of him and he was still wearing that stupid guard uniform.

He approached with caution. "Hey...can I buy you a drink?"

Deacon didn't have to look back to know it was him. "Sorry, pal, my shift starts in a few minutes."

"C'mon..."

"Sorry but I've got a job to do. If your looking to pick up guys then I'd look around somewhere else. Maybe hell."

MacCready frowned and sat himself beside him. "You can't seriously be mad at me for keeping a secret. You keep a bunch of crap from me and you don't hear me whining about it."

Deacon chuckled. "I hear you whining 24/7..." he took a long sip and exhaled through his nostrils "-it's not the secret-keeping that bothers me, alright? It's the fact that you never thought for one minute that I might need to know for the safety of my organization."

"Jesus, the Railroad doesn't have to know everything, okay? You're just mad that you didn't figure it out by yourself."

"No, I'm mad because we opened ourselves up to Kate and she's sleeping with the other side."

"She's not sleeping with him...at least I don't think so." He wondered. "Look, you don't need to worry about it, Kate would never betray you."

"-And she would never betray Maxson either...that means if she's ever forced to choose, she'll choose him. And if she chooses him, you'll choose her." He sighed. "Face it, MacCready, we've never been on the same side. I fight for synths and you fight for Kate. Once pretty boy Maxson convinces her that the Railroad should be destroyed, she'll do it without blinking."

"She isn't some love-struck idiot." He said defensively. "And Arthur isn't completely unreasonable, at least with her. If anyone could convince him to spare the Railroad, it's Kate."

Deacon scoffed lightly. "So, we're calling him Arthur now?"

"What are you, jealous?"

"No, I'm speechless. I can't believe someone as smart as you would fall into his bullshit."

"It's not bullshit. He's not a terrible guy, alright? He's...normal. Kinda."

"It's sounds like you're trying to convince yourself, MacCready."

He sighed. "Maybe I am. Look, you're right...I fight for Kate. And I always will...but I could also fight for you. I mean, these past few weeks with you have made me happier than I've been in years. And it's not easy to admit that, okay?"

The spy slapped some caps on the counter as he stood up. "I need to go."

MacCready watched him for a moment before following him out of the bar. "So, you're just gonna throw everything we had away?"

He chuckled low. "Look, we had some fun but you're delusional if you thought it meant anything more than that."

Ouch...

MacCready shoved his hands into his pockets, looking away from his reflection in the spy's sunglasses. "Fine. I'll just leave...enjoy spending everyday being miserable."


	20. Chapter 20

Arthur mumbled to himself while making his way down the hall.

Since Kate left to visit MacCready, he had been focusing all of his time on the Institute. Attacks from gen-1s have been happening more frequently and with Liberty Prime reaching completion, it was time to formulate a plan.

The element of surprise wasn't on his side...the Insitute was most likely monitoring the ruins of the CIT building. If he wanted to win, pure force was going to be his only friend. Kate had given him a rough layout of the area, and even though it was risky to go charging through the Commonwealth on Liberty's back...he wasn't left with much choice.

As he walked past the clinic he noticed a slightly concerned Cade following him down the hall. It wasn't all that unusual...he was probably running low on medical supplies and needed to remind him to order more. Normally he would've stopped to speak with him but with so much on his mind, he just strolled past with a half-hearted greeting.

"Elder, can I speak with you for a moment?" He asked.

"Not now, put in a request with Teegan for anything you need."

"But there's something we need to discuss-"

His eyes remained glued to his papers. "Unless it's about the Institute, I don't have time."

" _Elder_ ," he said firmly.

"I'm sorry, Cade, I really have to get back to work. Whatever it is, it can wait until later..."

He could hear the doctor's footsteps stop, and as he continued to walk down the hall he heard the words from his mouth echo against the metal walls.

"It's about your wife!"

Arthur froze and spun around, walking back with concern across his features. "Madeline? Did something happen...is Daniel alright?"

Cade frowned, his eyes intense. "Not _that_ wife."

Silence.

Arthur swallowed, looking around the empty ship as if an excuse to leave would appear out of nowhere. "...I don't know what you're talking about." He said calmly.

"I know this isn't something you enjoy discussing and I'm sorry to have to bring this up now with what's going on but I feel you must know."

His skin was hot and feverish at the mention of Kate. Since the day she left, nobody dared bring her up, it had been so long that Arthur wondered whether or not people remembered his first marriage. It took everything to not allow his voice to tremble with anxiety. "I really don't have time for this...whatever it is, it can wait until after the Institute has been dealt with."

Cade sighed sympathetically and placed a comforting hand on the side of his arm. "You're being blindsided, Arthur. Knight MacCready...she's not who she says she is; I ran her blood sample with our database per protocol and she was already in our system." He sighed, lowering his voice slightly "...she's your first wife, Katelyn."

Arthur didn't pretend to be shocked or try to convey surprise; he simply exhaled with dread. "Who else knows?"

"I sent the data over to the Citadel an hour ago...by now? The head scribe and paladin...your doctor, and me. I was also planning to inform Paladin Danse, seeing that he is her sponsor."

A pit in his stomach threatened to consume him. Kate being discovered was his greatest fear, and now there was nothing he could do to stop it...

"We have to place her under arrest until we return home." Cade said. 

"No."

He scoffed lightly. "What do you mean no?"

"I mean... _no_. We're too close to the fight with the Institute. Knight MacCready was a helpful hand in getting us here and she deserves to take part in the fight."

"Are you being serious? We cannot trust this woman, Elder Maxson!"

"I...disagree." He stammered. "She hasn't been disloyal thus far, has she? I think any sort of trial can wait until after the battle."

"Trial? There is no trial...she's a wanted woman. Execution is the only punishment fit for the crime."

"It's been two years since then. Things have changed and there's no reason why we shouldn't give her the opportunity to defend herself." 

"Sir, she killed somebody."

"I've killed many...so have you. That shouldn't define us."

"Are you really justifying her actions? The man she killed was innocent, Elder."

"She did what she had to do to escape a life of sovereignty. I won't blame her for that."

Cade stared back at him stoically. "You knew...didn't you?"

He exhaled, shoulders deflating with his breath. "I didn't know until after she was enlisted."

"Jesus, Arthur...she's a criminal! You should've reported it the moment you discovered who she was."

"I couldn't," he argued "...she saved my son." 

"That doesn't erase the fact that she killed a recruit. She needs to be punished for her crimes." 

Arthur stared at him hopelessly, his voice low and raspy. "I won't kill her...she's my wife."

Cade frowned with a sigh, standing up taller as he made his decision. "I'm dispatching a unit to retrieve her. When she's found, she's going to be placed under arrest. I'm sorry...but I cannot let you betray us by allowing her to escape."

He turned around, walking briskly to his office while Arthur was left with a shattered chest and forgotten papers in his hand.


	21. Chapter 21

"Do you think Nick has a dick?"

MacCready let out an scoff, looking to his friend with annoyed eyes. "Why are you asking me this?"

Kate smirked. "Don't tell me you've never thought about it...I mean, he's a synth but he's like the first one ever created. What if the Institute gave him a dick?"

"I don't know, seems like it'd be pretty useless. What kind of person wants to screw a robot?"

"Ellie."

"Then why don't you ask her?" He jeered. "She's the one who lives with him, not me..."

"Fine," she retreated "...don't bite my head off."

MacCready dropped his shoulders sheepishly, kicking a pebble as they walked through the run-down theatre district. He could still remember how Kate barged into the Combat Zone and killed everyone there when they first got into the Commonwealth. Mayor Hancock had put out a bounty on the raiders and even though it had nothing to do with her, Kate helped him clear out the place. She even let him keep all the money...it was probably the first times he actually considered her a friend.

"Sorry..." he muttered "-it's just getting late. You know how I get when I'm tired."

"Yeah, I know." She smiled softly, walking in silence before asking the question that hung between them. "You're still thinking about him...aren't you?"

He froze for a moment, trying to shake the image of Deacon from his head.

"No. I told you, I'm tired."

"C'mon, don't bullshit me, MacCready. You blame me for him cutting ties with you."

He sighed, not confirming what she said. "I just need time to forget that ass-...idiot. I promise, I'll be a lot nicer once I do."

She looked down meekly. "You really liked him, didn't you?"

"Doesn't matter anymore." He frowned. "Can we just talk about something else already?"

She nodded and brought up the old comic book store, telling him about how Kent told her it was filled with old relics from the production of Grognak the television show. He actually began to relax a little and joke when he spotted a group of soldiers blocking the path up the road to Goodneighbor.

"Get down!" He pulled Kate's hand. "It might be Gunners."

She squinted through the sunset, recognizing the power armor that reflected the orange light. "It's alright...it's just the Brotherhood."

MacCready let out a relieved breath. "Well, what the hell are they doing out here? You should tell them to stick to their own territory."

"Let's just walk past them, they probably don't even know who we are. I'm not even wearing my uniform."

"Alright...just keep your head down."

They crossed the street and walked fast, already seeing the neon lights of Goodneighbor from around the corner. The pair was almost past them when a man in the group cleared his throat rather loudly.

"Knight MacCready?"

Kate sighed but looked up, not recognizing any of the men. "...Yes?"

The soldier nodded to the others, signaling them to reach forward and grab her arms roughly. Kate grunted at the force and stumbled back, looking at the man who spoke her name with a dark glare.

"What the hell? Let me go!"

"That isn't going to happen," he spoke firmly "-you're under arrest by the authority of Elder Arthur Maxson."

"What are you talking about?!"

Handcuffs were clicked around her wrists while the man in power armor patted down her hips for weapons.

"There must be some sort of misunderstanding..." MacCready spoke "-she didn't do anything bad, alright? Just take it easy."

"Silence, civilian."

"You wanna say that again? I said let her go... _now_."

"Restrain her friend. Make sure he doesn't follow us."

"Excuse me? You aren't taking her anywhere-"

As he spoke he reached for his gun, prompting one of the soldiers to use the butt of their gun to slam into the bridge of his nose, causing him to tumble to the ground.

"MacCready!" Kate screamed.

The soldier in charge chuckled low, obviously satisfied. He bent down to take a look at him, scooping up his rifle with a smug look. "This'll be a nice addition to my collection."

"Leave him alone!"

The man turned and smiled at her, kicking MacCready's unconscious body with his steel-toed boot.

"Take her away."

* * *

MacCready groaned when he regained consciousness. Not much time had passed, he could tell from the soft light still present from the sunset. Kate's screaming was gone, replaced by the quiet hum of crickets.

He groaned as he sat up, his mouth tasting of blood. His nose wasn't broken, at least...but why were his ribs aching?

The moment he scrambled to stand, he heard footsteps approaching and immediately caught a glimpse of three raiders with baseball bats wrapped in barbed wire.

_Great...more trouble._

"Well, well, look what we got here," the raider chuckled "...fresh meat."

MacCready winced as he looked around for his rifle, realizing that it was missing along with his ammo bag.

"Here, this is all I'm carrying..." he threw down a small sack of caps "-take it and leave."

One of the raiders kicked it to the side, a sinister smile showing off his rotting teeth. "Oh no...we ain't looking for caps, pretty boy. We're looking for lunch."

"You're cannibals?... Christ."

The other raiders lunged forward and bound his hands together, all while he fought them off with rough shoves. It was a pathetic attempt, really...had he not been hurt already he could've at least taken down one of them.

"Hold 'em still," the one with rotted teeth said "...I wanna make this fast."

He pulled out a small knife, approaching with heavy breaths. MacCready could tell from his eyes that he was strung out, probably on jet. Before he could negotiate some sort of deal, the cool blade of the knife was resting on his neck. He swallowed against it, watching the man's crazed eyes bug out from his skull.

The tip pressed into his flesh just enough to draw blood. However, before it could slide across his throat, a bullet rang out from the sky.

The raider in front of him dropped dead, causing the other two to frantically look around with weapons drawn. MacCready sank to the floor for cover, watching feebly as another bullet took down one of the men. The last raider cried out for his friend, his knuckle turning white against the handle to his bat. With anger and tears prickling in his eyes, he charged at MacCready, intent on taking him out before being picked off.

One last bullet took his head off, spraying MacCready with the stranger's blood.

He swallowed as he searched the area with his eyes, his hands tugging at the bindings around his wrists. From the distance he heard a thud, as a sniper, he knew that it was the sound of someone jumping from a hiding spot.

"You really do find your fair share of trouble."

He recognized the voice.

"Deacon," he said weakly "...you were following me?"

The Railroad agent walked out from the shadows, same sunglasses plastered to his face. "No, I was following Kate. But when I saw her get arrested, I decided to stick around and make sure you were alright...then those raiders came along and forced my hand."

He helped him stand up and offered a stimpak, assisting him with applying it to the bridge of his nose. MacCready gritted his teeth at the pain and watched as Deacon took out a piece of cloth from his pocket. "Here, I don't have any water but you can probably clean up some of that blood with just this..."

"I don't understand." He frowned. "Why are you here? How long have you been following us?"

"Just for a few hours." He admitted. "I saw you leaving the city and thought I could stay at a safe distance for awhile."

"So...you heard everything that happened?"

"Yup." He nodded. "Seems like Maxson isn't as great as you thought, hmm? I hate to say I told you so but-"

"I get it, alright?" He sighed. "Look, I know you didn't need to save me and I know you don't even give a crap about me...but thanks. I don't know what might've happened if you didn't do something."

"Well, I'm guessing you'd be roasting over a fire with a mutfruit in your mouth." He smirked slightly. "And for what it's worth, I would've saved you no matter what."

"Yeah? And why's that?"

"Cause I like you. You know that..."

MacCready raised a skeptical brow. "No, I don't know that. Before you said-"

"I lied, okay?" Deacon chuckled. "Really, you should be used to that by now."

He paused, looking back at him as if he were insane. "So...you just lied? After making such a big deal about me not telling you the truth? Jesus, what the hell is the matter with y-" 

Deacon's mouth connected with his before he could finish. 

"I'm sorry." He muttered when he pulled away. "I guess I thought that if I could piss you off enough then you'd just leave and I wouldn't have to face the fact that I actually like you...you'd just disappear like everything else in my life." 

MacCready stared through the darkness of his shades, seeing the faint outline of his pupils. "I'm not something you can just throw away, Deacon." 

"Believe me, I get that now...ever since you left I've been stuck thinking about you. You're really annoying, you know that?" 

He chuckled, leaning forward to capture his lips again. 

"C'mon," Deacon whispered. "Let's go get Kate back."


	22. Chapter 22

"Arthur, what's going on?!"

Kate nearly burst into tears when he walked into the room. Her hands wrapped tight around the bars of her cell as if to rip them open.

"It's going to be okay." He rushed to her. "Is everything alright, are you hurt?"

"No...MacCready though, they roughed him up pretty bad. I...I don't know where he is or if he's even alive."

"I'll find out, alright? Just stay calm."

"How can I stay calm?" She chuckled bitterly. "I'm locked in a jail cell, Arthur! I-I don't understand...why am I in here? What did I do?"

Arthur frowned. "They know who you are...I'm sorry, Kate."

She froze, the sinking feeling in her gut growing worse. "How? Did you tell somebody?"

"Of course not. Cade, he ran your blood sample against our database and it was already in the system."

"This is all my fault," her hands tangled in her hair as she paced "-I never should have gone done to fight at the airport. I should've just listened to you and stayed put...but no, I had to go and get hurt...god, I'm so stupid!"

"Don't say that, Kate...you did what you had to do."

She scoffed, tears building up behind her eyes. "What's going to happen to me?"

"I don't know," he sighed "-I haven't figured it out yet."

"Oh god..."

He stopped in front of her cell, reaching out to touch her hand. "I won't let them hurt you, Kate, I promise."

"Them? Who's them?"

His hand dropped from her skin to run through the length of his hair. "Do you remember our doctor? From before?..."

Kate closed her eyes, nodding slightly.

How could she forget such a horrible man?

* * *

**November 23rd, 2285**

Kate held the ball of cotton to her inner arm, watching as the bead of blood soaked into the white fibers.

Arthur had told her that they were checking to see if she was pregnant, still it didn't ease her anxieties. Knowing that the results would be negative had her feeling guilty...she knew it would cause trouble for her new husband. And although she didn't know him that well, she didn't want to be the root of all his problems.

He was...sweet.

In just a few weeks of talking she felt closer to him than she did half the people she grew up with in her past life. It was like they were somehow made to be in one another's life...somehow it made her think she was destined to be trapped in Vault 111 for hundreds of years.

"Tell me, Mrs. Maxson," the doctor in front of her spoke, "...have you had a chance to consummate your marriage yet?"

Her face felt pale, and she wasn't sure if it was from the blood loss.

"Yes, we have."

She knew the lie that she had to tell, Arthur had told her how to handle the questions should they come, and she had thought of an elaborate story of how they drank wine and made love on the kitchen table. Not that she would actually tell that to anyone...it was for her imagination only.

"Interesting. Go on..."

"Excuse me?" She scoffed. "I don't think it's any of your business."

"Isn't it? I'm your doctor, after all." He sat opposite her, a long smirk spreading across his face. "Don't be shy...anything you say won't leave these walls."

She squeezed the ball of cotton tighter, wincing at the ache from her poked vein. "I-I don't know what you want me to say. We've been spending time together, that's all."

He whispered low. "And are you being satisfied? Oh, don't make that face...I won't judge you. You're a woman, I'm just making sure that all your needs are being met."

Kate could feel her cheeks burn, she swallowed down a nervous hiccup as she shook her head, unwilling to answer his questions.

The doctor simply chuckled and stood up, pushing the glasses he wore up the bridge of his nose. "Have you ever heard the term hysterical paroxysm?"

She shook her head.

"It's quite simple, really. In the late 19th century, women were going through fits of hysteria; often leading to stays in mental institutions. Doctors had to perform an exercise called hysterical paroxysm to help alleviate the symptoms."

"Okay...?"

"Well, the treatment often involved a doctor, such as myself," he smiled "-stimulating the clitoris until she reached orgasm. Now, I'm not saying that you're crazy but if you ever find yourself feeling anxious or...wound up...then don't hesitate to see me. I would be more than willing to help you. At your discretion, of course..."

Kate felt the cotton ball slip from her fingers and fall onto the floor.

Her tongue was suddenly dry and heavy as she tried to speak, her stomach twisted until she visibly recoiled...had she ever been so disgusted in her life?

"The results of your test will take an hour or so..." he carried on normally "-I'll send for your husband when I get the results."

Kate nodded softly and stood up from the exam table, trying not to fall over from the rush to her head. As she walked toward the door, she felt the doctor's hand on her back.

"Have a good day, ma'am."

His hand slid down her ass right as she ran.

* * *

Kate wrapped her arms around herself to stop from crying. "When will he be here?"

"Tomorrow, maybe even tonight."

"I...I don't want to be alone with him. Please, Arthur, don't let him near me."

He reached forward to hold her through the bars, placing a soft kiss on the top of her head. "Nothing is going to happen to you, alright? Trust me, you're safe here. I would rather die than see you get hurt."

She sighed into his arms, tears slowly running down her face. "Promise?

"I promise, luce mia."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you go back to chapter four and reread things, it becomes a lot more creepy.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I have to apologize for being gone. I don't have a reason other than laziness so forgive me. I really wanted to update so I decided to split the next chapter in half since that's all I have written. I know it isn't much but hopefully this will hold you over until I get the next part up. I know, I'm the worst...I would promise to do better but by now we all know that I'm a flake.

Arthur paced around the command deck, murmuring quietly to himself. Any minute now, his staff would be arriving from the Citadel.

Head Scribe Arkin, Head Paladin Green, and his doctor...Rochester.

Even thinking his name had his spine stiffening.

For so many years he trusted him, doing everything he asked whether it was drinking enough water or looking the other way when members of his staff complained about him. Perhaps it was because after Owen died, he was left without a father figure. Some part of him still yearned for a male figure to teach him and unfortunately, he was the only one around.

Prior to becoming Elder, Rochester had been written up approximately six times...almost all of them were for misconduct. In one particular incident, a young woman claimed that he had touched her inappropriately during an exam. Most everyone laughed at her...he was a doctor after all.

It wasn't until Kate arrived that Arthur had began to question him. Rochester was always irate when talking about her, never wanting to call her by her name. It didn't even matter to him that she wasn't emotionally ready for children, he just wanted her pregnant for seemingly no reason other than the Maxson legacy...Arthur never looked at him the same after that.

And seeing how terrified Kate was of him when he brought him up?... That killed him.

Hurried footsteps broke his train of thought.

Arthur glanced up from the floor to see Danse, eyes wide with worry.

"Is it true?" His paladin asked.

"Sorry?"

"Knight MacCready...is it true? Is she really...your wife?"

Arthur sighed, inwardly cursing. Five people now knew of Kate's identity...any more and he wouldn't be able to stop the rumors from flooding the ship. "I told Cade that it wasn't necessary to inform you."

"Are you kidding?" Danse scoffed. "I'm her sponsor, I'm the one who brought her here in the first place. Of course I should know!"

"Lower your voice," he warned "...I don't need anyone else hearing this."

"So, it's true then?"

"Yes...it's true."

His face softened. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Arthur could see the slight hurt cross his face. He had always been close to Danse, joking with him during training and comforting him at the loss of his fellow soldiers. He was probably the closest thing to a friend he had, and he had always admired how loyal he was when it came to Madeline.

"I couldn't tell anybody." He spoke truly. "It was nothing personal."

"...I've heard rumors about this woman, I was under the impression that she was a dangerous criminal."

"People like to make things worse then they seem."

"But she murdered an initiate."

"You weren't there, Danse, you weren't aware of the life she was being forced to live." He paced dolefully. "I am very sorry that a man lost his life, but she was left with little choice. Had she stayed, she would've been pushed into giving me children."

"How long have you known?"

"Since the first attack at the airport..." he chuckled softly "-honestly, I'm surprised that I didn't realize it sooner. I never thought I'd forget that voice of hers..."

Danse walked closer, a slight smile on his mouth. "You've been so happy the past few weeks...I had assumed it was because Madeline left; I didn't know it was because of Lucy."

"Kate."

"Right." He shuffled his feet for a moment before asking, "Do you...love her?"

Arthur exhaled. "More than life itself."

"So, what are you going to do? The punishment for her crime is death."

He shook his head. "I don't know...I can't rewrite the codex."

"But you can work around it, can't you?"

"I've tried...there are no loopholes to exploit."

Static from the transmitter behind them stopped their conversation.

 _"Elder Maxson?"_  

He pressed the orange button on the microphone. "Speak." 

_"Vertibird 1021 is coming in, should be another five minutes or so until it arrives."_

"Thank you, Kells." Arthur sighed and looked back at Danse. "Looks like I'm out of time...a decision has to be made."

The paladin frowned and looked around the empty room, stepping closer to Arthur with a soft whisper. "Maybe not."

"What do you mean?"

"I might have a way to get around the codex...do you have somewhere private where we can talk?"

"You'll have to make it quick, the others will be here any moment." 

"This'll only take a minute." Danse smiled. "Trust me. 


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope this reads well, it took so long to write.

Danse took a deep breath as he stood beside Arthur, watching as the senior officers filed into the command deck.

From the corner of his eye, he noticed Arthur staring down his doctor with hatred. Danse couldn't blame him...the man was abhorrent, practically flaunting his malpractice like he couldn't be touched. The first time Danse had ever met him, he was shocked that he was allowed to treat wounded soldiers.

Men like him had no honor.

"I'm glad everyone has arrived safely," Cade spoke as he entered from the upper levels. "I trust your journey was safe?"

"We had a bit of a run-in with super mutants," Paladin Greene boasted "-I hopped on the mounted gun and took them out in under three minutes."

Arkin smirked. "My time was 3:21..."

"Still better than you could've done, scribe."

"Head-scribe," he corrected "-and might I add that there were only four mutants? That means it took you just under 51 seconds to terminate each one."

"Yes, but I did it from 30,000 feet...that's still a win in my book."

Dr. Rochester let out a ragged sigh. "Not to inturrupt your little pissing contest, but perhaps we should get down to the business at hand. I'm very much interested to begin the execution process. Is the woman ready?"

Cade looked at Arthur wistfully. "I suppose there isn't any reason to stall. Elder Maxson, have you reached a decision on how to deal with your wife?"

"Not quite...I would prefer something quick and painless. Life, perhaps?"

Greene chuckled. "Life isn't painless, no matter how quick it is...although, I do share the same sentiment. I don't think Katelyn Maxson is deserving of anything more."

"Standard procedure is execution by a firearm." Arkin pointed out.

"This is certainly out of the realm of standard, is it not?" Cade asked. "We have medical options such as lethal injection that are far less barbaric."

Rochester shook his head with a scoff. "An innocent man was killed at her hands...a simple execution is too good for her. If I had it my way, she'd be strung up for all of the Brotherhood to see."

Arthur felt his jaw tighten, his fingers curling into a fist.

"I've never met the woman," Arkin spoke "...but from what I've been told, she wasn't violent or mentally unstable. I agree that a quick death is suitable."

"I agree as well." Danse proudly declared.

Cade smiled. "That makes it five against one."

Rochester seethed "Very well, a quick death it is...but perhaps, we can subject the woman to testing before the execution."

"Testing?" Arkin raised a brow. "That doesn't sound ethical."

"I'm not suggesting anything out of the ordinary. I just think we should experiment with forms of torture...it could prove useful to collect data for dealings with future enimies."

Arthur's took a step forward before Danse pulled his arm back. "That isn't how the Brotherhood operates, doctor, you know that."

The man had the audacity to laugh. "You people seem to be defending this woman an awful lot...have you forgotten she murdered that poor man? She knocked him over the head with a brick and left him to bleed out. It's not like he's here to give an input but he deserves for someone to stand up for what happened to him!"

"What was his name?" Arthur asked.

"Excuse me?"

"The man that my wife killed...what was his name? Surely, you would know it since you are so commited to punishing his killer."

The doctor floundered for a moment. "I can't remember the name of every person that's died, Elder, but that doesn't mean I don't care."

"I think you care a little too much," he added "...you're very invested in punishing my wife. Had it been somebody else, you may not be so quick to judge."

"I don't know what you could possibly mean, Elder. I have nothing against your wife...even though she has a blatent disregard for our organization."

Arthur walked closer, standing nose to nose with him. "You would be too if you were forced to live as property."

The doctor smirked, showing off a hint of his yellowing teeth. "You seem very emotional about all of this, Elder...perhaps you aren't the right person to be doing the execution. If that's the case I would be happy to step in."

"You aren't laying a damn finger on her."

"Enough!" Greene shouted. "All we're doing is stalling. The fact of the matter is this woman has to be punished for her crime. Frankly...I'd like to get it over with so we can begin assisting with other matters in the Commonwealth. This arguing is doing little to fight the Institute."

Arthur took a calming breath and backed away, trying to keep his composure. "Very well. The execution will take place now...Danse, will you lead the way?"

"Of course...right this way, gentlemen."

* * *

Kate paced nervously in her cell, waiting for any word from Arthur or MacCready. It had been hours, and even though she was locked in a cage she was still afforded the luxury of a clock.

When the door finally opened, her heart sank to the pits of her stomach.

The doctor from the Citadel walked in, followed by Paladin Greene and some other stranger. Behind them was Cade, Danse, and finally Arthur. She gave him a worried look.

"It's alright." He mouthed to her.

She backed away from the door, hugging herself as the men watched her closely.

"Everybody who knows is in this room, yes?" Arthur asked.

Cade glanced around. "I believe so."

Greene nodded. "We wanted to keep this as quiet as possible until it was over with."

"Great." Arthur took out his combat knife. "Danse...lock the door."

"Yes, sir." He smiled.

Before anyone could comprehend what was happening, Arthur's knife plunged into the doctor's chest, sending blood flying from the wound. Kate gasped and covered her eyes as he clattered to the floor with the knife still in him, the look on his face a mix of pain and confusion.

Arthur wiped the excess blood on his jumpsuit before looking at the men in front of them; most of whom were shocked.

"There...I've killed one of our own. Now, you can have me placed under arrest and have somebody else take charge against the Institute or...we can agree that sometimes people have to die for the greater good. Hank Reynolds may have lost his life the day my wife escaped captivity but had it not been for his death, we wouldn't have discovered the location of the Institute...we would not have gotten the opputunity to send in one of our own soldiers through technology we didn't even know possible. All of this came to pass because of her...and I will not let her be punished after everything she has given us."

Danse had his hand on his pistol, ready for any of them to retailiate against Arthur. Instead, they looked down at Rochester's body in silence.

Head scribe Arkin cleared his throat. "Give way your suspicions to the wisdom of thine Elder. Where he shows trust, so shall you...it's written in the Codex."

Paladin Greene looked at Kate, then back at the group. "I don't know about anyone else...but I didn't see anything. Perhaps the good doctor here just suffered from a heart attack."

"I agree." Danse smiled. "...He has been getting up there in age."

Everyone glanced at Cade.

"You've just mudered one of the highest ranking members of the Brotherhood..." he stated "-for her?"

"I would do it again."

"Is that a threat?"

"No, it's a matter of fact." He said. "Doctor Rochester is far more criminal than my wife. Sexual misconduct, verbal harrasment, and blatent insubordination are just the tipping points of what he has done over the past twenty years. If you ask me, his death was a justice."

Cade stared at him for a long while before taking a deep breath. "Very well...I'll begin working on his corener's report. In the meantime, I'm sure you'll tell Knight MacCready to be on her best behavior? I don't want to regret letting her off the hook for her crime."

"You have my word, Cade, and thank you."

He nodded slowly and waited for Danse to open the door, leaving with Greene and Arkin.

"Thank you too, Danse," Arthur said. "Really."

He smiled before leaving, giving Arthur the chance to unlock Kate from her cell. The moment the door slid open, she bulldozed herself into his chest.

"I can't believe you did that! Are you crazy? They could've turned on you!"

"It was a sacrafice I was willing to take." He smoothed down her hair lovingly. "Are you alright? Do you need to sit down?"

"I'm okay." She looked up at him. "But what are we supposed to do now?"

He sighed. "Cade will take care of the paperwork, I'll help Danse clean up the mess. Aside from that?... You're free, Kate. Nobody's going to hurt you as long as I'm around."

"And MacCready?"

"We'll find him." He promised. "And we'll put an end to the Institute once and for all."


	25. Chapter 25

Kate hugged Arthur once they were alone in the command deck. "Thank you for saving me." She whispered into his ear. 

"You should thank Danse. It was his idea." 

"Still...you put everything on the line for me and I don't know how I could ever thank you." 

He pulled away and kissed the tip of her nose. "You're the only thing I could ever ask for, luce mia." 

She kissed him with praises on her lips, suddenly stopping when the sound of the Prydwen door pushed open. MacCready and Deacon came running in without any breath left, eyes trained on Arthur like a hawk. 

"Why are you hugging the guy that arrested you?" MacCready asked. 

"Oh my god, you're okay!" Kate pulled away to greet him. "I was so worried..." 

"Ditto." Deacon glared. "Wanna tell me why we aren't attacking everyone on this ship?" 

"Because you're outnumbered." Arthur answered. 

"Silence, tyrant!" 

" _Deacon_ ," Kate scoffed "-it's okay...it was just a misunderstanding. Arthur never meant to hurt me." 

"You don't accidentally throw someone in a cell." MacCready straightened up. "So, tell me what's going on because I'm done being in the dark." 

"He saved me, alright? Without him, I would've been executed." 

"Executed?... You mean?" 

"They found out who I was. Arthur managed to convince his peers so spare me so you should really be thanking him instead of barging in here like an ass." 

MacCready's face softened. "I didn't know that. So, does this mean you don't have to hide anymore?" 

"It means she can live free, just as Lucy MacCready." Arthur stepped in. "She's still a wanted criminal...so we should still be cautious but for the most part? Yes, she's safe."

"Good. Glad to hear it all worked out...just don't try anything like that again. You may have an army but we're both snipers." MacCready glared. 

Arthur chuckled. "Noted." 

"I still don't understand what's happening." Deacon said. 

"I can explain it later." Kate promised. "Just take a breather...we're all friends."

"Some of us more than others." 

MacCready elbowed him before sticking his hands in his pockets. "So, what now? I can't exactly pretend to like Arthur 100%."

"Agreed." He countered. 

"Well, I don't know about anyone else but I'm kinda hungry." Deacon said. "Want to hash this out over a bowl of noodles?"

"Lord knows you'd poison them." MacCready smirked. 

"I have a better idea," Kate smirked. "I think it's time we take the fight to the Institute."

* * *

Liberty Prime stood taller than the C.I.T. ruins, its laser eyes burning into the ground as it opened up the Institute.

Arthur stood in front of his troops with Kate, MacCready, and Deacon, ready to hop in the moment the surface broke.

"Alright, we've come a long way so let's not dally. Ingram will be monotoring things from the control room. Danse, I want you to go to the residential wings and try to escort as many people out. Everyone else...attack the synths. No mercy."

Deacon scoffed lightly under his breath.

"Everyone move!" Arthur commanded before jumping into the pit.

"Yes, Elder!" Several of them called out before running into the fight.

Kate looked around before speaking to MacCready. "Help Deacon save his synths. Just make sure to meet at the control room in twenty minutes."

He nodded. "What about you?"

She paused with a determined look. "I have to go deal with my son."

Arthur followed her up the winding staircase to the top floor, firing at the gen-1s that tried to stop them. When Kate saw the door with the phrase ' _director_ ' painted on it, she tugged on the handle, growling low when it wouldn't budge.

"The door is locked!" She shoved her body into it. "God dammit, Shaun, OPEN UP!"

Arthur pulled out his 10mm and shot the lock, kicking it with his steel-toed boot until it separated enough to squeeze through.

Kate ran into the room and screamed, shileding her eyes from the sight before her.

Shaun laid slumped back on his sofa, blood running from his head to the floor. In his hand was a laser pistol that was still smoking.

Arthur followed inside and pulled her away from the scene, hugging her as she trembled from the shock. "It's okay," he muttered "...just take a breath."

"He killed himself! He...he just...I can't believe it-"

Arthur touched her cheek to calm her, looking deep into her eyes. "He's gone, Kate. He's gone..."

She swallowed shallowly and nodded, blinking away the wetness behind her eyes.

She knew he had to die, there was no other option.

It was her plan to do it fast, to give him as little pain as possible...even though he was a monster, he was still her baby. Maybe it was for the best that he did it himself. It saved her from another trauma.

Kate forced her eyes away and walked to the computer, her hands shaking as she hacked the files. "Alright...I've shut down synth production. We should head back to the control room to tell Ingram."

"Right behind you."

As they left the grand room, she stopped in front of Shaun's body, wincing at the horrible sight. He looked so...frozen. It was easy to stare past the wrinkles to see the toothless smile he would give her as an infant. Her heart ached for the boy she used to know...

"I'm sorry, Kate." Arthur said.

"Yeah...me too." She grabbed his hand and squeezed. "We should get out of here. Are you ready?"

"I'm ready. Let's finish this once and for all."

* * *

Arthur stood with Kate, MacCready, and Deacon on the roof of the Mass Fusion building, the Insitute looming below like a monster about to take its last breath.

"Kate...would you do the honors?" Arthur handed her the detonator.

She looked down at the red button, admiring how it blinked in the dusk of the afternoon. With one push, it was done. The C.I.T. ruins crumbled to the Earth in a thick mushroom cloud, sending dust and debris flying across Concord like a blanket.

The sound echoed in the ears of the Commonwealth to let them know that they were finally safe. They could finally sleep in peace.

Kate felt a weight lift from her chest, and she closed her eyes to soak in every moment. "Well, I guess that's it then." She said.

"Not quite." Arthur cleared his throat. "There's one more thing that I need to do."

Kate looked up at him curiously, eyes going wide when he dropped down to one knee.

"I know it's been a long day but I don't think I can wait another moment. You are the most amazing woman that I have ever met and from the second we met I knew that I loved you. When you left me...I never thought I would be happy again. Then you came back and it was like I was reborn. Suddenly, everything made sense and I had another reason to press forward. It made those two years without you worth it." His thumb rubbed over her ring finger, a slight smile spreading across his face. "Kate, will you marry me? Again..."

She laughed in disbelief before gnawing at her lip. "But what about the Brotherhood?"

"Cade and Greene will keep our secret...you don't have to worry about hiding anymore."

"And kids?...I really don't want anymore after all of this..."

"Neither do I-" he answered honestly "...and I know how much you care about Daniel. I don't think I could pick a better wife than you to love him."

Her eyes welled up as he kissed her knuckles, and she couldn't hold back the small chuckle as she nodded.

"Is that a yes?" He asked hopeful.

"Of course. I love you, Arthur."

"I love you, luce mia."

He stood up with a smile and pulled her into a deep kiss, holding her waist tight as the warmth of the bomb washed over them.

Deacon and MacCready watched with scowls from the other side of the rooftop.

"Gross...do you think they're gonna do it right here?"

"Oh, Robert...everyone knows that radiation and devastating choas are two of the most romactic things on Earth." He paused, looking away from the happy couple. "So...I guess that means you're going with her back the Capital."

"Yeah." He sighed. "I need to get back to my life, ya know? My son..."

"I get it."

"What about you?"

"Well, now that the Institute is gone there's going to be much more traffic from the random synths that escaped. There gonna need memory wipes to deal with all the trauma...lots of work for me, unfortunarly."

"So...this is it then, huh?" MacCready frowned. "We're probably never going to see eachother again."

"No. Probably not."

They stood in somber silence for a few moments, hearts feeling heavy until Deacon decided to perk up his shoulders like nothing was wrong. "On the other hand...Dez has always wanted to expand. I bet she'd be thrilled to reopen communications with the Capital Wasteland. So, who knows? Maybe I'll see you around the Rivet City Market one of these days..."

MacCready smiled wide, a soft chuckle on his lips.

"Yeah, maybe."


End file.
